The Half Full Glass
by MySoulAches
Summary: Set in the aftermath of Jane's miscarriage, Maura is determined to be the person Jane needs. By infusing her with needed strength & optimism, Maura cements the bond between her and Jane. A heartwarming look into a budding romance fueled by tragic events. They're better than workmates, stronger than sisters... undeniably SOULMATES. Rated M for some future Rizzles lovemaking.
1. Emptiness

**Part I**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Emptiness**

Jane hadn't talked much about the miscarriage and she preferred to keep it that way. Whenever someone breached the subject, she'd quickly change it to something else. Maura successfully made all the gifts and decorations for the new baby disappear while Jane was in the hospital. She really didn't want to get rid of every trace, but Jane asked her to get rid of it.

It was obvious to everyone except Angela that she didn't want to talk about it. Why couldn't she just accept the fact that whatever person that baby was to become, it was gone. Never to be seen nor thought of again. Jane had accepted it, so should she! If Jane could get over it and she was the baby's mother, then Angela might as well just drop it!

It's been 3 weeks damn it! Jane slammed her bottle down on the island, startling Maura who was standing at the stove stirring the pasta sauce. She jumped with a start and squeaked a little. Jane winced. She had been caught in another daydream and forgotten where she was. "I'm sorry, Maur." She groaned.

Maura nodded and turned the eye down, returning to Jane's side. "That's okay. It just scared me a bit." She sighed and covered Jane's hand. "Are you okay?"

Jane looked at her, her eyes gazing lovingly into her friend's, contemplating whether or not to go there with her and discuss her feelings. She nodded slowly. "Yeah I'm good."

Dinner smelled heavenly, and she wanted to eat, but she just didn't feel hungry. She couldn't keep her mind off of the nightmares she'd been having lately. She had a new phantom that haunted her dreams at night. It was one that she never expected to make their way into her subconscious and one that tore her heart out worse than Hoyt.

"Here you go." Maura said as she placed a plateful of pasta in front of her.

Jane had lost some serious time. She had no clue how long she was sitting there unresponsive. Obviously it was long enough for Maura to make her a plate.

"Thanks," she said as she took her fork and started nibbling on the pasta. Jane knew it was delicious but nothing that she passed over her taste buds tasted like anything. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

The voice inside of Jane groaned as she struggled to force the portion of food past her heart that was stuck in her throat. She looked up at Maura who was dining on her meal in silence. The silence that enveloped them was deafening. Maura knew that Jane didn't want to talk, so she wasn't going to force her.

"Maura," Jane sighed as she played with her food. Jane felt like she was about to cry. No, worse than cry… She felt like she was about to sob uncontrollably. She felt it in her chest first, just above her diaphragm. Then it, that twisting, burning, gnawing feeling, traveled to the right settling just above her breast. It felt like a heart attack, just on the wrong side.

She reached her arms across her, hugging herself firmly. "I can't breathe, Maur."

Maura was at Jane's side in seconds, her hand slipping through the crook in her elbow, supporting her just in case she passed out. Maura didn't bother asking the usual, "Are you okay", because clearly she wasn't. She just stood there, holding her dear Jane close to her.

Jane put her face into her hands and hid her face from Maura as those wretched feelings that were inside threatened to come out. Her breaths deepened as she struggled to keep the emotions at bay. She had to be strong. She was better than this! A whimper escaped her mouth. It made her feel childish, frail, and so goddamn weak.

She felt Maura's supporting arm, holding her close… Steadying her, while her other hand gently caressed her back. Maura's hands had some kind of energy about them because Jane could feel warm energy coming from them.

Maura leaned closer to Jane, pressing her body tightly against hers as she rode this emotional rollercoaster with her. Jane's body began to tremble. Maura responded by tightening her embrace. Her trembling lips pressed firmly against Jane's temple, placing a soft kiss on her tortured friend.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Jane." She whispered ever so softly into Jane's ear, "I know what you're feeling."

Of course she couldn't pretend to be okay with Maura. Maura knew better.

"I just want to forget." Jane choked on her tears. She moved to get up but Maura held on to her.

"It'll take some time." Maura's voice was soothing.

Jane loved the sound of Maura's voice. She felt comforted and safe with her. The more comfortable she began to feel the angrier she got. It was like there was this tug of war inside of her, one part of her tugging her further into Maura's embrace, and the other tugging her as far away as it could. She was conflicted.

"No!" Jane burst out and pulled herself to her feet. This movement broke the connection that Maura's hands had around her, causing the flow of energy from Maura to cease. Jane noticed it and she was sure that Maura noticed it too.

"Jane, what's wrong?" Maura's eyes pleaded with her to explain her actions. "I can't help you if you don't let me."

Jane backed away. "I don't need any help." She said as she turned to go to the couch. "I'm fine."

Maura caught her arm before she sat down. She grabbed her, holding her firmly. "Talk to me. Why are you so angry right now?"

Jane shrugged out of her embrace and paced back and forth across the room. "I don't want to talk about it!" Jane nearly yelled. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and cupped her mouth. She didn't want to direct her pain at Maura. She raised her hands, palms facing Maura, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell," she began.

Maura stepped cautiously closer to Jane, taking her hands into her own. She placed Jane's hands onto her cheeks and sighed contently. Jane's touch often had the same calming effect on Maura as hers did on Jane. Maura closed her eyes briefly as she couldn't bear to look upon the pain that was staring back at her. Her hands reached up and covered Jane's as Jane's trembling hands cupped her face.

"I lost something too." Maura said softly as her eyes searched Jane's.

Jane's eyes were so warm and inviting. She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. "I know." She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Maura's, "I've never felt pain like this before," she whispered. Her breath danced across Maura's lips. Maura resisted the urge to reach and press her lips against Jane's trembling ones, stilling them with a soft kiss of comfort… Nothing more. Fear of Jane misunderstanding the gesture caused her to hold back, which was even more painful.

"I know you said that you're over it," Maura started off slow and evenly, but the amount of emotion in her voice betrayed her. "But I'm having a very hard time." She knew her words mirrored Jane's feelings, and if Jane wasn't comfortable talking about it, then she would be the one to express how she felt. Regardless of how vulnerable and naked it made her feel.

Jane's eyes opened slowly and met hers. "You are?"

Maura nodded slowly. "I think about the baby every day since," Maura instinctively pulled Jane's hands closer, pulling them closer together. "I miss the anticipation the birth."

"Maur…" Jane attempted to interrupt her.

"I miss the thought of having this tiny little human to hold."

"Maura, stop…" Jane bit her bottom lip, causing those dimples that Maura adored so much to appear.

"I miss taking care of you and talking to your belly…"

"Stop…" Jane said as she pressed her lips against Maura's forehead, her lips parted and when they did a sob came out unexpectedly, "Please stop."

Maura squeezed her eyes tightly shut and reined in her emotions. "I may not be able to truly empathize with you, but I know the pain you are feeling. I can feel it so strongly." Maura released Jane's hands and wrapped hers around Jane's waist.

Jane pulled Maura into her arms and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry. I should have been more careful. This is all my fault." Jane finally blurted out. "I was in denial."

As Maura tightened her grip around Jane, Jane's body seemed to relax in her arms.

"But you kept reminding me of this baby that was coming. And I had no choice but to accept reality." Tears streamed down Jane's face, "But then I was constantly in a struggle. I wanted to be happy and do mommy-to-be things, but I was fighting it."

"I know…"

"I didn't want to give up my life for a baby! I mean what the hell was I thinking?"

"This wasn't your fault."

Jane chuckled bitterly, "Oh yes it was, Dr. Isles. You know it, I know it, and everyone else knows it."

"In my eyes it was an accident." She ran her hands up and down the length of Jane's back as she struggled with her own emotions. "It was a terrible accident that took the life of _our_ baby." Maura hadn't even noticed she said _our_ baby. She truly felt like the baby was hers too. At least on an auntie/godmother level. She was right there with Jane, making sure she ate right, had plenty of exercise, and had enough of everything for the new baby.

She could never tell Jane that somewhere deep inside of her she hated the child's father. She hated him so much; she dared not even think his name. She could never express to her how absolutely solid this hatred was for him. Maura guessed that's where Paddy Doyle's DNA reigned; in the deepest crevices of her soul. Deep down where no one could see, nor hear the thoughts that fueled the person she was. Maura was a beautiful, brilliant and culture doctor on the outside and surface, but deep down, yes deep down is where the trueness of her being could be found. Maura was fiercely protective of anyone she called her own.

"Tell that to my heart." Jane whispered.

Maura's heart broke for her. She just tightened her embrace around her, "I'm trying, Jane. And I will keep trying until I convince you that it truly was an accident. Okay?" She nodded, encouraging Jane to agree.

Finally she agreed, "Okay."

Silence enveloped them for what seemed like hours. Jane pulled away, "I think I'm going to head to bed."

Maura cupped her face and smiled. "Okay, I'm going to go clean up the kitchen," she said as she started to walk away, but her departure was halted by Jane holding on to her hand.

"No…" Jane simply said as she looked down at their hands.

Maura waited for an indication of the meaning of Jane's pause. Slowly Jane tightened her grip on Maura's hand and turned off in the direction of the bedroom. Maura needed no further explanation. Jane wanted her to join her in bed.

They walked to the bedroom where Jane entered without turning on the light. She sat down at the edge of the bed exhaustedly. "I'm so tired." She leaned over and put her head into her hands and exhaled heavily.

Maura knelt down in front of her. "You've had a long day."

"A long year…" She corrected her.

Maura chuckled. "True." She said as she reached down and unlaced Jane's boots, tugging them off. She then removed her socks and tossed them far away from them.

She raised up on her knees and pulled Jane's hands away from her face, "Here, let me help." She said as she unbuttoned Jane's top shirt and tossed it away. Jane's tank top was so cute and pink. Maura chuckled.

"Shut up. I can wear pink if I want to." Jane cracked a smile.

Maura smiled and gazed at her for a moment. "It's so nice to see you smiling again." Maura cupped Jane's face and rose to her feet. She removed her own clothing quickly and grabbed one of Jane's shirts from her nightstand drawer, slipping it on and crawling into bed.

Jane followed her crawling under the covers with her. Usually Maura would protest to Jane climbing into bed with her day clothes on, but not tonight. Jane silently settled in and turned away from Maura. At first Maura thought that she should leave her alone, but she knew that if she were going through what Jane was going through, she would want Jane close at all times. And in effect, she was suffering the same. She couldn't explain how she felt Jane's pain so clearly, but she did.

She reached and touched Jane lightly on the shoulder, gauging her movements to Jane's response. Jane reached up and covered her hand with her own.

"May I move closer?" Maura asked softly.

Jane didn't answer for a few long minutes, nor did she let go of her hand. "Please…" she whispered.

Maura smiled and moved closer, spooning Jane's body with hers. Jane relaxed into Maura's embrace as Maura repositioned her hand, letting it drape over Jane's waist. Maura placed her face gently into the crook of Jane's neck, placing a soft kiss on it before settling her head onto the pillow next to Jane.

Jane sighed contently and reached for Maura's hand. She took it and placed it on her belly. Maura's heart tugged as Jane covered her hand, holding it in place over her empty womb. Maura tightened her grip around her and kissed her lightly again.

Jane's body trembled with silent sobs as Maura held her tightly. "We're going to get through this I promise you." She whispered to her. Her heart was so swollen up she could barely breathe.

It was then that Jane's sobs became audible. "I miss my baby, Maura." Her body became wrecked with sobs. "I don't think I'm ever gonna get over this. I can't believe hap…" Her voice trailed off, overreached by the painful cries of Jane's heart.

"I know... It's okay to cry… Just let it out." Maura encouraged her. And Jane listened.

The only sounds that filled the air for the next hour were the sounds of Jane's painful sobs. Maura held her, never loosening her grip on her one bit. She continued to hold her tight even after it was evident that she'd fallen asleep. After which, Maura sat up, watching her as she slept peacefully. She was determined to be awake and ready should Jane wake up in the middle of the night needing her.

Maura didn't sleep a wink that night.

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 **NOTE: Reviews welcomed. This is going to be a story that highlights their friendship. It is not meant to follow the R &I seasons. Different things will happen out of order, because this is fanfiction! My goal is to tell a wonderful story of a wonderful undying love!**


	2. Nightmares

**Chapter 2 - Nightmares**

"No!" Jane's tortured voice pierced the silence in the room causing Maura to bolt straight up in the bed. Sometime during the night, Jane had rolled out of Maura's embrace and was now half on half off the side of the bed.

"No, please…" Her muffled voice cried out in the night.

Maura reached over and quickly turned on the light. She reached out and touched her. "Jane?"

"Hoyt… don't you dare… Don't touch my baby!" Clearly pain was in her voice as she started sobbing in her sleep.

Maura shook her briskly, determined to disconnect her from this awful nightmare. "Wake up, Jane!"

Jane was still holding on to the dream as she cried out again.

Maura climbed over her and knelt down beside her, shaking her briskly while calling her name repeatedly. Then suddenly Jane's eyes shot opened and stared at her. Sheer terror was evident in her eyes, whatever nightmare she was having was still playing in front of her eyes.

Maura's voice gently called her to consciousness. "Jane?"

Jane's eyes finally focused on the woman kneeling in front of her. She was trembling uncontrollably. "Maur, what are you doing here?" her voice was weak and uncertain.

"You were having a nightmare."

Jane squeezed her eyes shut and sat up in the bed. Her long legs draped slowly over the side until her feet touched the floor. She brought her trembling hands up and swiped them over her sweaty face a few times in an attempt to wake herself up more.

"I guess I was…" She sighed heavily, her voice shaking as she exhaled her deep breath. "It was horrible." She said as she repeated blinked, apparently trying to remove the images from before her eyes.

"Look at me," Maura said softly. And when Jane's eyes slowly met hers, Maura smiled and touched Jane's hand. "Just focus on me."

Jane nodded and fixed her eyes on Maura. A single tear streamed down the side of her face.

"Oh Jane," Maura sighed as she caught sight of the tear, "I'm so sorry." She moved forward and caught the tear with her lips, trying her best to take away Jane's pain the best way she knew how. "Please tell me what to do to help."

"You're doing it right now." Her voice was softer than usual as she stared into Maura's eyes.

Maura nodded and embraced Jane, pulling her into her bosom as Jane relaxed to her touch. A few quiet moments went by before Jane began to pull away from her. Maura really didn't want to let go. This was evident because she held on a little longer. But Jane continued to detach herself from Maura's warm embrace. Maura couldn't understand why Jane wouldn't allow her to comfort her like she wanted to. She needed it as much as Jane did. But Maura's problem was that she didn't tell Jane how much she needed the comfort.

"I think I'm going to go make some breakfast." Jane said as she rose from her spot.

"Breakfast? But it's only 2:15 am."

Jane frowned and turned to look at the clock. "Hmm, I guess it is." She said sitting back down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Maura asked the question even though she knew what the answer would be.

"Nah," Jane said shaking her head. "Just a nightmare, no big deal."

Maura sighed and nodded. "Okay." She said as she sat beside Jane. She reached and caressed her back softly. "Let's go back to bed?"

Jane sighed and leaned her head against Maura's. "I don't think I could sleep again even if I tried."

Maura didn't respond. She wished Jane wouldn't act so "tough" all the time. Jane was always helping others she barely allowed herself to be helped.

Jane got up again.

"Where are you going?" Maura asked.

"I'm going to go watch some TV."

Maura smiled and nodded. She wasn't going to force Jane to talk. She knew that Jane would eventually talk about it, usually when she least expected her to. This fact made Maura feel somewhat comforted, knowing that Jane trusted her enough to talk about her feelings.

She patted Jane's hand, "Okay." She said before crawling under the covers again. She settled into her pillow and closed her eyes.

Jane hadn't moved from her spot. As the seconds rolled by, Maura was keenly aware that Jane was standing there watching her. She felt her eyes on her, watching, examining. She hugged the pillow tighter and exhaled heavily. Finally, she opened her eyes to see Jane's staring back at her.

Jane smiled at her, without saying a word. Naturally she returned the expression. She wondered what Jane was thinking at that moment, and wondered if she should ask. Common sense cautioned her against asking the details of Jane's private thoughts right now. She'd reserve that for another time.

Jane finally moved from her spot and walked over to Maura's side of the bed and clicked the light off. She reached down and touched her lightly on the shoulder before leaving the room. Maura laid there in the dark, her eyes focused on the thin flickering sliver of light that was coming from underneath the door.

If she knew Jane like she thought she did, she knew Jane was probably tuned into either the Home Shopping Network or QVC, dulling her pain by shopping.

Shopping? A flash of anxiety shot through Maura's body as she bolted up out of bed.

She had gone on a shopping spree for the baby and ordered a lot of items from various online vendors and had them delivered to the house. After Jane miscarried, Maura had to be certain to be there when the items arrived. Most were too late to cancel. There was one that came in yesterday and Maura hadn't had a chance to stash it because Jane showed up about ten minutes after the UPS guy delivered it.

Maura slipped on her robe quickly and raced towards the door. She'd left it sitting in the corner of the loveseat, opened. This gift was a cute little yellow onesie outfit with matching booties and a cap. On the front it had a cute quote that said: "It should be a crime to be this cute!"

God, how could she have forgotten! She nearly ran down the hallway and entered into the living room. To her horror, Jane was standing there with the outfit in her hand, frozen… Just staring at it.

"Jane…" Maura's soft voice snapped her out of her daze.

Jane turned to her. Her face was blank of expression, her eyes dark and panged.

"I'm sorry, I meant to put that away," Maura said walking up to her. She gently took the outfit from Jane's hands, "I didn't mean for you to see this."

Jane just nodded, turning her head away from it. "It's okay." She said softly as she sat back down on the couch.

Maura scrambled to place the outfit back into the box. Her hands were shaking. She put the items in the hallway closet along with the others. She returned to Jane and sat down beside her. She sighed, not sure what to say or do.

"What are you going to do with it?" Jane asked without looking over at her. Her eyes were fixed on the television screen. She was indeed watching the Home Shopping Network, and the hosts were demonstrating a new pressure cooking device. "You should get one of those." She said pointing to the screen.

Maura was slightly confused with the quick change of subjects, but she caught on. "Are you saying I take too long to prepare your meals?" she asked with a playful smile, anything to lighten the mood.

Jane looked at her sideways and winked. She leaned back against the arm of the couch and got comfortable. Maura copied her, taking the opposite end of the couch. They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the television screen.

"I am going to return it on Monday," Maura said quietly.

"Oh okay." Jane ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, "It was a cute outfit."

"Thanks."

"I was totally going to let you buy all its clothes you know. You have better taste than I do."

Maura smiled and reached over and caressed Jane's leg which was draped over hers. Jane reached and rested her hand on her leg, lightly grazing her fingers across Maura's hand. Maura smiled and took Jane's hand, holding it while they watched the show.

Minutes rolled by. Jane after about an hour of sitting in the same position changed and placed a pillow on Maura's lap and laid across her leg. Maura of course did not protest, for she was aware that Jane no doubt was getting sleeping again. Jane yawned and stretched a bit.

"This okay?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Maura replied as she draped her arm across Jane's shoulder and relaxed even more.

Jane reached up and took Maura's hand again. She apparently enjoyed Maura's touch as much as Maura enjoyed hers. Human touch is healing. To live without experiencing the touch of another human being is like depriving oneself of the most primitive form of love. Before there was speech, there was touch. Humans need touch in order to grow, thrive and heal, both mentally and emotionally.

Maura felt Jane's body get heavier, she looked down to see that she was still awake. With her other hand, she stroked Jane's hair lightly.

"I was hoping for a girl." Jane said out of the blue.

Maura was startled by this unsolicited revelation. She sighed deeply as her heart began tugging lightly in her chest.

"There's too many boys in our family anyway." Jane chuckled lightly.

Maura felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. "I wanted a girl too."

Silence followed…

"It wasn't an accident." Jane said softly. "That motherfucker murdered my child."

Maura just nodded slowly. She felt Jane squeeze her hand even more. "I know…" Maura knew it wasn't an accident. But she told herself it was. Maybe it was easier for her to deal with it.

"I wish I could have the ability to time travel. I would go back and do things alittle different."

Maura reached up and swiped the tear from her eye. "I would too."

"What would you do different?"

Maura sat there for a long while before answering. Jane turned her head to look at her. Maura's eyes shimmered with tears. "I would have answered the phone the first time."

Jane just stared at her, not sure what to say. She sat up a moment later. "What do you mean?"

Maura inhaled deeply. She hadn't told Jane that she ignored her phone call. She didn't feel like it would be beneficial to add those details to this. It would only hurt.

Maura smiled, spilling her tears down her face. She swiped them away, apologizing for her very human display of emotions.

"I wish…" She started, "I could go back and catch that call the first time you called me."

Jane listened intently.

"And then I wish I could have gotten there to where you and Tasha were. I wish I could have found your gun and I wish I could have gotten to that hitman before he got to you."

Jane's eyes widened.

"And when I found him, I would have shot him dead on the spot." Maura's face was serious and unflinching. "I would have put a bullet in him before he had the chance to hurt you the way he did. I would have taken his life the way he took the life of our baby away from us."

Jane was so blown away by Maura's homicidal confession that she totally missed the beauty in what she said. Maura had never expressed such dark thoughts to anyone close before. She had some dark thoughts in college and she attributed it to stress and spoke with the school's psychiatrist, and left it there. Now knowing that she is the offspring of an Irish mobster, the princess daughter of a kingpin, she knew those thoughts were a direct result of her DNA.

"Maur…" Jane gasped. Jane was literally speechless. She'd never thought words like that would ever come out of her beautiful mouth.

Maura simply nodded, "And I promise you, when I came to the realization that the precious life inside of you had been snatched away, I wanted him and everyone connected to him dead."

Jane swallowed hard. She knew Maura was serious. Her eyes were dense with conviction, anger, and sadness. Jane had never seen this look in her eyes before.

"I tell myself it was an accident so I won't have to think about how it came about." She nodded and smiled at Jane. "Thinking about him shooting you and then beating you in the stomach with that crowbar," Maura's eyes clenched shut and a shiver passed over her, "It makes me think of horrible things I don't want to think about." When her eyes reopened Jane was in tears.

"Oh Maur… Okay. I understand." She said as she reached and pulled her into her embrace. "I'm so sorry, I let this happen." Jane pressed her lips against Maura's temple.

"You didn't let anything happen. You were protecting Tasha. She needed you."

Jane sighed heavily and pressed her face into the crook of Maura's neck. "I'm so glad you're here with me tonight."

Maura nodded and squeezed Jane tighter. "So am I, Jane."

The girls hugged each other tightly in silence for minutes. They had actually lost time as they held on to each other. After a while though, Jane fell back on her humor.

"I would love to stay like this, but I'm getting a cramp in my back." She chuckled.

Maura laughed and released her, smiling into her dear Jane's eyes. Jane smiled back at her and Maura's eyes glanced down briefly at Jane's lips before returning to her eyes. She hadn't even noticed that she had done it. It was a subtle notion that could easily be missed and it could easily be interpreted.

Jane cleared her throat and flipped off the television set. "Let's go on to bed. Ma is probably going to come bugging me early."

Maura nodded and went off to the bedroom, leaving Jane to watch her walk away. Jane's mind slowly processed the subtleties of Maura's gaze earlier. Maura may not have noticed it, but Jane certainly did. She wondered if she was just over-processing everything, which it was quite possible that she was. Overall, whatever that was, she wasn't going to mention it unless it happens again. It could have been some quirk, a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly that would never occur again. She shrugged off her thoughts as she got up to follow her to bed.

She'd think about all that later. As for now, she was going to go and rest so she could be ready for the day with her folks tomorrow. Angela had arranged a family dinner at Maura's house. It was nice, but Jane just preferred to be alone for a while. But of course, Mama Rizzoli wasn't having it.

She sighed heavily and joined Maura to sleep.


	3. Family Matters

**Chapter 3 – Family Matters**

The day had progressed along very smoothly and Jane and Maura enjoyed entertaining their family. Constance had turned down the invitation to dinner because she was out of the country, but Hope showed up to support Maura. Of course Jane's entire family showed up and made themselves at home in Maura's living room. Maura had long grown accustomed to this. Having a loving family that stuck around during tough times was certainly better than the alternative.

Hope and Angela took over the kitchen and were putting the finishing touches on dinner. Frankie, Tommy and T.J. were hanging out in the living room watching the game on the screen. It was quite cozy Maura thought. It was the type of coziness that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She looked over at Jane who was sitting on the floor playing with T.J. and admired her for a moment.

She was such a loving person. Regardless of if Jane was a tough bad ass cop, she still had a special tenderness about her. Jane held T.J. on her lap as he played with a couple of toys on the floor beside him. He moved the wrong way, and he fell off of Jane's lap. Auntie Jane was quick at the draw however, and caught him before he could fall completely on the ground. Little T.J. gasped out of sudden fear, but when he realized that his auntie Jane had rescued him, he began to coo and whimper with appreciation.

Jane picked him up and held him close to her, kissing him lightly on the forehead, "Shh, it's okay, little guy." She said kissing him lightly again, "I've got you." The softness in her voice was nothing short of motherly. She rocked him slowly and hummed a soft tune until he calmed down.

Once he calmed down, she handed him off to his father, "I think he's sleepy," Jane said as she patted him lightly on the back before rising from the floor.

"Cool, why don't you put him to sleep?" Tommy asked.

"That's your job, little brother." She smiled at him.

"Aww, come on Janie. I'm watching the game. Please, I'll owe you one?" Tommy said handing T.J. back to Jane.

"I said No… I'm sorry, I can't right now." Jane said as she walked away from them and joined her mother in the kitchen.

Tommy watched her walk away and then he glanced over a Maura. He had a bewildered expression on his face as if he didn't know why Jane had reacted that way. Maura simply shook her head. Maybe he didn't realize what he had done, she really didn't expect him to understand the depth of grief a woman has after losing a baby. Since she had been telling people she was over it, possibly Tommy actually expected her to be "over it."

Maura got up from the couch and followed her into the kitchen. When she walked in, she saw Jane leaning against the counter watching Hope and Angela put the finishing touches on the chicken breasts.

Maura took her place beside Jane, placing her hand on the small of her back. "Are you okay?" She whispered to Jane with a smile.

Jane looked over at her and nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Did Tommy upset you?"

"Nah," she said as she took a swig of her beer. "Man, I'm so glad that I can drink my beer again." She said as she swallowed the rest down, and placed it down on the counter. Maura took the empty bottle and placed it into the recycling bin.

Maura was very quiet, respecting Jane's space and privacy. In reality though, she wanted to be near to Jane at all times. She tried to analyze what this meant, but kept coming up short. She deduced that it was nothing other than a need she had to comfort Jane. She knew that Jane was getting better every day but she still wanted to be someone who Jane would lean on when she needed. She just didn't want to push.

"Maura, sweetie, can you help me with something?" Angela called out to her.

"Certainly what can I do for you?"

Angela pointed to the pile of fresh vegetables beside them. "Salad, get to it."

Maura chuckled and went over to wash her hands. A moment later Jane had joined her, playfully pushing her out of the way for her turn under the stream of water.

"Hey! I was here first," Maura laughed and moved back over.

"You gotta conserve some water for the rest of the world, Doc." Jane teased and bumped her over with her hip.

Maura laughed lightly and splashed Jane's face with water from her wet hands.

"Hey!" Jane smiled at Maura and shook her head. "Fine, the sink is big enough for us both." She said as she tipped her head, motioning for Maura to stand beside her.

Maura reached under the flow of water and wet her hands again. "The proper way to wash your hands in order to reduce the chances of contaminating your food is by…" Maura began.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, here she goes again," she said to their mothers, who were already chuckling at Jane and Maura's playful banter.

To Jane's surprise Maura took her hands, "You should make sure to saturate them thoroughly first with cool or warm water," she said as she pulled Jane's hands underneath the water, "I prefer warm water." She made sure the water covered Jane's hands, wetting them completely before she turned off the tap. Then she pumped a couple of shots of hand soap from the container and worked up lather in her hands before she took Jane's hands again and lathered them. She paid special close attention to her palms, gliding her thumbs gently over Jane's scarred tissue.

She turned her hands over and made sure she lathered the back of Jane's hands as well, her thumbs giving her a gentle massage along the way. She parted Jane's fingers and gently rubbed the soap between them, slowly making sure the entire finger was soaped up from the base to the very tip of her fingertips. For some odd reason Jane's hands began to tremble.

Maura looked up at Jane and her eyes were darker than usual. "It's best to work up the lather and then scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds before you wash away the soap. That way you make sure to cleanse your hands of any bacteria that may be present." Maura finished up her narrative on hand washing.

Jane just stood there, her eyes falling slowly to their joined hands. She swallowed hard and looked back up at Maura, who was smiling at her. "Uh, okay." She said as she began rubbing her hands together quickly. She glanced over at Maura who was watching her intently. "20 seconds, huh?"

"At least," Maura said as she winked at her.

After a few seconds, twenty-five to be exact, Jane turned the tap back on and ran her hands underneath it, washing the soap down the drain. After which, she grabbed a paper towel and began slicing the vegetables. Maura performed her hand-washing routine and joined Jane at the salad bowl.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before the silence became unbearable to Jane. She looked over her shoulder and glanced at their mothers before leaning closer to Maura. "Hey, I want to say thanks for being there for me last night."

"You're welcome, Jane. That's what friends are for."

Jane nodded, "Yeah, I know the saying, but I really mean it. I wasn't in a good state last night, and I'm just glad it was you there with me, you know?"

Maura nodded, "I'm glad it was me too."

Jane's eyes locked with hers for a moment, silently scanning her soul… At least, that's what it felt like to Maura. Jane's eyes could penetrate barriers. That's what made her a good cop. It also made her a great friend too. Jane had a way of looking straight into someone's heart and moving them in ways that no one else could. She was definitely one of a kind.

Jane's smile reached her eyes for the first time in many weeks. It was a beautiful sight. Maura couldn't help but smile back at her, her eyes beamed with a feeling that was so new to her that she hadn't put a name on it yet.

Again she wondered what was on Jane's mind. "What are you thinking right now?" she asked. She thought it was safe enough to ask, since the mood was light and they were having a nice time.

Jane's smile lessened a bit, but the warmth still radiated from it. She bit her bottom lip lightly causing her dimples to appear. She shrugged and looked down at the salad bowl. Maura chuckled and tossed the ingredients she was working on into the bowl with Jane's.

"That bad?" Maura inquired.

"No…" Jane said lightly. "It's not bad at all." She said as she put the final ingredients into the bowl and tossed them together. "Hand me the oregano." She asked and when Maura put it into her hand, she sprinkled a generous amount into the salad. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you…" She said.

Maura's smile stayed on her face as she nodded.

"I mean, how lucky I am to have you as my friend… I know that sounded weird." Jane laughed nervously.

Maura shook her head negatively and touched her arm. "It didn't sound weird at all…" She pulled Jane closer and put a light peck on her cheek. Upon contact, her lips lingered a few seconds longer than they probably should have, but it was too late to take it back now. She pulled away from her and smiled, "I'm lucky to have you too, Jane."

"Hey are you girls finished with the salad yet?" Angela called over.

Maura smiled and took the bowl. "We certainly are!" She chirped. "Dinner is officially ready now." She placed the bowl onto the island and glanced back over at Jane who was standing there admiring her. "Come on, Jane." She said motioning for her to come over.

When Jane came to her side, she put her arm around Maura and looked down at the spread of food, "Man, I'm starved. Let's eat!"

"That sounds like a great idea," Angela said. "Dinner is served! Come and get it!" She yelled to the boys in the living room. Seconds later they came rushing in.

As Jane took a look around the room, her heart began to lift a little. Just seeing her family surrounding the meal made her feel happier. She glanced over at Maura and smiled. She had the greatest friend on the planet hands down. She couldn't imagine her life without Maura in it, nor did she want to imagine it. She felt Maura tighten her grip around her, that peculiar look in her eyes made Jane now wonder what was on the Doctor's mind…

* * *

The guys had left out about an hour ago, leaving Jane and Maura and their mothers to clean up of course. Hope and Maura had finished up what they were doing and left to go watch TV. Jane tried to get Maura to stay but Maura left anyway. Jane knew that once Angela got her alone she would try to force her to talk about the baby. And that was one thing she did not want to do!

Jane wiped down the counter tops in silence, occasionally stealing a glance over at her mother. Each time, Angela would look up from what she was doing. The silence was deafening. Jane wished she would just say something and get it over with.

Angela sighed heavily, "Janie, honey."

Wishes do come true… Jane lifted her eyes to meet her mother's, "Yeah?"

"Could we talk a minute?"

Jane stood up straight and shrugged, "Well, that depends on what you want to talk about, Ma." Angela opened her mouth to speak, but Jane began speaking first, "If you want to talk about the dinner, great… the Red Sox, even better, but I will not, and I mean will not talk about my miscarriage."

Angela closed her mouth slowly and nodded in agreement. "Okay, Janie."

Jane felt a wave of emotion coming over her, so she quickly turned and started fumbling with the items left over in the sink. "I'm sorry, I just can't talk about it right now… Maybe one day."

"Okay," Angela said softly from behind her. "I didn't want to talk about it either." She said in a low voice, "Until the day came that I had to talk about it."

"Well, that day isn't here for me yet, Ma."

"I know, sweetie."

"Just remember that I understand you."

Jane lowered her head, "I know you do, Ma."

"Since you don't want to talk about it, may I tell you how I coped when I lost mine?"

 _Christ! Why does she have to do this now? I had such a great night…_ Jane thought.

"Sure." She said as she turned around and surrendered. "How did you cope? Let me guess, you talked about it?"

Angela slowly shook her head, "No. I wanted to, but I didn't have anyone to talk to." She said stepping closer to Jane, "So I found an outlet."

"An outlet?"

"Anything to distract you and take your mind off of the pain that I know you still feel." Angela reached and touched Jane's face. "And I know it hurts, baby. I am so sorry."

Jane just nodded briskly as she felt her tears coming to the fore. "It's okay, Ma."

Angela just nodded and smiled lovingly at her. "Find something to distract you, Janie. It could be anything." She caressed her face softly. "It could even be a person; just anything to help ease the pain. Do you understand?"

Jane nodded, "Yeah I do."

"Okay baby girl," Angela sighed. "I'm going home now. I'm beat."

Jane chuckled a bit, "Yeah, like you have a long way to drive."

Angela winked at her and left her standing there. Moments later Jane heard laughter as their mothers said their goodbyes, followed by the door closing shut. Jane remained slumped against the island, willing her issues to stay at bay.

She'd had such a great day. She hadn't really thought about it much. Being there with family and Maura definitely helped her. Maybe there was some truth behind what Angela had said. Maybe she did need to find something to distract her from those thoughts.

"Hey?" Maura's soft voice called her out of her reverie.

Jane looked up, surprised that she hadn't heard Maura come in the room. "Hey." She exhaled her greeting so heavily it almost sounded like a sigh of relief. "What's up?"

Maura shrugged as she stepped closer, "I just came to check on you," she said as she walked to the cupboard and retrieved a glass. "Why are you hiding in here?"

"I'm not hiding," Jane laughed. "I was just caught up in a daydream, I guess."

"Oh la la. Dreaming of a tall dark and handsome yoga instructor, are we?"

"Yeah right!" she laughed out loud on that one. "He's too soft for me."

Maura chuckled lightly as she poured a generous measure of wine into the glass. She took the glass and brought it to her lips, sipping it slowly. "Mmm, this is heavenly," she cooed as she looked over at Jane whose eyes had narrowed as she observed her. "How rude of me, would you like a glass?" Maura asked.

Jane just shook her head negatively and kept watching her.

"Oh okay," Maura sipped some more, trying her best not to feel like she was under a microscope. It became unbearable, those dark brown eyes peering into her mind and soul. Maura cleared her throat and smiled. "Let's go sit down a bit?"

"Okay." Jane said as she came closer to her. She offered Maura her arm and Maura took it happily as they walked to the couch. "Don't get any ideas." Jane teased.

"Any ideas about what?" Maura replied as she sat down on the couch, her cheeks turning a light shade of rosy.

Jane just laughed and shook her head. "I'm not going to talk about my feelings, Doctor Isles." She said as she plopped down beside her.

"Of course not, Detective. I don't feel like talking either."

Jane's eyes widened, "What? Really?" she mocked shock and awe, "We must mark this day in history! Oh my god, my precious Googlemouth doesn't feel like talking."

They both giggled and Maura sighed. "I like how you referred to me as _your_ Googlemouth."

Jane nodded; her eyes unflinching as they bore through Maura's heart. She reached and took Maura's hand, squeezing it lightly. "Well, you are, Maura. Don't you know that?" Her voice was so soft and yet firm at the same time.

Maura took a moment to respond. She sifted through her memory bank, making sure that her answer was well informed. She thought of all the times past that Jane had made her feel like she was the only person left in the world. At times she missed it, because Jane never liked to announce her good deeds, at other times Jane's subtle actions spoke volumes about how she felt about Maura. Jane was always there for her. That is why she was determined to be there for Jane in her time of need.

She slowly shook her head, "Yes, I do." Maura smiled when she caught sight of Jane's smile creeping across her face. Her eyes involuntarily gravitated towards Jane's lips once again as she began to wonder if Jane would freak out if she gave her a light kiss on the lips. She probably would and blame Maura's actions on the wine.

Maura chuckled lightly and met Jane's gaze once again.

"What's so funny?" Jane asked.

"Just silly thoughts," Maura said as she finished off her wine. "I think I'm ready for bed." She said stretching and rising from her seat. She placed the glass down on the table and started off towards her bedroom.

Jane also got up, but she did not follow her. When Maura was aware of the fact that Jane's footfalls were not close behind, she paused in her tracks and turned. Jane was reaching for her coat, shrugging into it slowly.

"You're leaving?"

Jane nodded as she slipped her scarf around her neck. "Yeah, I need to feed Jo Friday." Jane said quietly as she smiled a little before heading towards the door. "I… Uh," Jane cleared her heart out of her throat. It was obvious that she wanted to stay.

But she really _needed_ to go.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Maura asked as she watched Jane walk over to the door and pause.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Maur." Jane ran her fingers through her hair, shaking the anxiety out of her ends. "I'm a horrible dog owner. I've been neglecting her." Jane seemed to relax as Maura stepped closer to her, closing the distance between them to mere inches. "I should've gotten a turtle like you."

Maura smiled and sighed, "Tortoise, Jane… Bass is a tortoise." She said as she reached up and lightly touched Jane's face.

Jane's eyes fluttered shut in response to the light contact of her hand. Jane reached up and covered Maura's hand with her own. Her eyes opened a moment later and peered into Maura's. She never said a word; she just looked at her, her body softly trembling in Maura's embrace.

"You'll always have a place here with me."

Jane nodded. "I know." She said as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Maura's, "I just need to feed my dog."

Maura nodded as she brought her hands up and ran them through Jane's hair. "I understand." She whispered lightly, her wine scented breath danced across Jane's lips. Much to her satisfaction, she felt Jane wrap her hands around her waist, and pull her into a tight embrace.

Jane buried her face into Maura's neck while Maura stroked Jane's luscious locks with her fingers. Jane inhaled the scent of Maura's aromatic skin deep into her lungs and in that moment, that tiny fraction of time, Maura's essence became the air that sustained her life.

Jane placed a soft and tender kiss on Maura's neck, and then one on the spot below her right ear, and then one on her cheek. Maura pulled away slowly and smiled at her. Jane's eyes were fixed on her lips. Maura said nothing as Jane leaned in towards her. Maura's hand was gently cupping the back of Jane's head, guiding her to her lips.

A moment later, it happened. Something that neither one of them had even anticipated happening tonight, nor even ever! Jane's lips touched Maura's gently, giving her a tender soft kiss goodbye. Maura couldn't help the rush that went through her body, causing her lips to start trembling against Jane's. Maura felt like they had been electrified! Their lips were pressed together momentarily, before Jane detached from the kiss.

Maura wanted to hold on for more, but she knew the moment was over. Jane's lips pulled away, but Maura held Jane's face just an inch from hers, not wanting this to end. But regardless of how long she wanted it to last; she knew Jane was ready to leave. Jane's breaths were heavy, while Maura's was light and trembling, each wanting just one more…

"Thank you for being here for me." Jane whispered.

Maura nodded. "Don't thank me. Just don't forget where I am."

Jane nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling down her face. Maura wiped them away and kissed her firmly on the cheek.

"I'm sorry…" Jane said.

Maura wasn't sure if she was apologizing for crying or for kissing her or both. Either way, it didn't matter. "I'm not."

Jane embraced her again, tightly holding her against her body. "I gotta go." She kissed her on the cheek and released her.

"Okay…" Maura said as she watched Jane disappear out of the house.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Maur…" Jane said as she turned to walk away.

Maura watched until Jane had driven off. She slowly closed the door and sat down on the couch. She couldn't believe what just happened. She was happy that it did though. She was glad that Jane expressed herself in that way. It made her feel better about their situation and her place in Jane's life.

As she sat there contemplating the events that just happened, her cell phone buzzed with a text message. It was a message from Jane that made her laugh out loud.

It simply read:

 _That Damned Dog!_

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading. I'm sorry if I forget about Mr. Adverb and his friend Mr. Spelling at times. It's not intentional. I read over my updates so many times, I become blind to them. So just let me know if you spot one! (or two... or heavens help me more... :-) )**


	4. The Visitor

**Chapter 4 – The Visitor**

Jane tried to ignore her for as long as she could, but she couldn't resist those sad puppy dog eyes. Jane sighed and turned the volume up on the TV. And then it came again, that poor whimper that made Jane's heart turn over in her chest. Jane knew that she was the reason why she was in distress. Jane groaned and turned the volume down.

"Are you serious, Jo?" Jane grumped at the little dog sitting in front of her, "It's like midnight and it's like twenty below outside, are you really serious right now."

Jo Friday whimpered and tilted her head.

Jane rolled her eyes and ran her hand over her face. She was just dozing off too! Jo had the worst timing ever! Jane sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Fine," She said as she got up reluctantly and walked over to the door. Of course, Jo Friday followed her happily.

"I'm trading you in for a turtle." She chuckled as she looked down at Jo Friday's oblivious face. Jane was amazed at how this little dog could still stare at her with so much love, even when she just threatened to get rid of her.

Up until tonight, she thought that Jo was the only one who could look at her with such a depth of unconditional love. She was, until Jane caught sight of the way that Maura looked at her tonight. It was a way that made her instantly feel like she was complete, whole, and wanted. She'd really never experienced it before… None of her past lovers or friends had ever gazed so deep inside of her that she could feel that person in her heart.

They say that the heart is the engine that moves a person to act. Jane was moved to kiss Maura tonight because Maura had stepped into a part of Jane's heart that she didn't even know existed, and filled it up so quickly and so fully that Jane couldn't think of anything else but her at that moment. It just felt right to kiss her.

Jane slipped into her coat and put her scarf on. Jo Friday whimpered with impatience.

"Hold your horses, will ya?" Jane said softly to her, "I'm not as excited as you are about going out in the snow. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not covered in hair like you are."

Of course the poor little dog didn't understand anything she was saying. Jane just laughed at herself because she was standing there talking to the dog when she really wished she had another human being to talk to. Not just any human being either; but a very special, smart, beautiful, super geeky one. Jane sighed and picked Jo Friday up and left her apartment for Jo's midnight walk.

It was freezing out! There was already a couple inches of snow on the ground from earlier this evening. Jane liked it when it snowed. It was a great excuse to call into work and sit watching Netflix all day. There was no shame in that!

"Be careful, Jo," Jane cautioned the dog as she sniffed around the shrubbery by the stoop, "If our neighbor finds out you are the one taking a dump on his plants, he'll cook you for dinner." She whispered to the oblivious dog.

She allowed Jo to walk out as far as her lead would allow, giving her space and privacy to do her business. Jane pulled her coat tighter around her body as a shiver passed through her. The cold Boston sky started sprinkling a light dusting of snow as she stood there waiting on Jo.

She couldn't help but to think of Maura. It was better than thinking about her pain. She wanted a distraction because the pain was too difficult to bear on her own. Her mother was right. Earlier tonight when she was holding Maura in the doorway, for a brief span of time, she felt no pain at all. It was only this warm and very unfamiliar feeling. And the moment that her lips touched Maura's…wow… That same energy that she felt through Maura's touch flowed through her lips. She almost thought she had imagined it, but the way that Maura reacted to the kiss was evidence enough that it was very real indeed.

Jo Friday started barking at someone approaching in the distance. Jane instinctively went for her gun, but she wasn't wearing it. She pulled Jo in closer. "Come on, Girl." Jane called.

Jo Friday stopped barking and started wagging her tail playfully. Whoever it was, she knew this person approaching her. After a moment, it became evident who it was when Jane heard the adorable chuckle of her best friend.

"Maura?" Jane asked, walking closer to her. She hadn't yet stepped into the light, but when she did, Jane felt like her heart had stopped for a second. She looked so angelic.

Maura had bent down and picked up Jo Friday, "Hey there, girl," Maura cooed as Jo Friday licked her on her cheek.

Jane smiled and shook her head. "What are you doing here?"

Maura put the dog down and embraced Jane with a nice firm hug. "Oh, you forgot something."

Jane frowned. She didn't remember leaving anything behind. "What did I forget?"

Maura smiled, "Me," she said.

Jane laughed. Maura was so full of surprises. She had to admit, she didn't expect Maura to show up like this, but she was certainly glad she did. She walked over to her and offered her arm.

"Do you want to walk Jo with me?" Jane asked as Maura slipped her hand inside Jane's arm and moved closer to her.

"Certainly."

Jane sighed with relief. Maura rarely rejected anything that she said, but she still had a natural fear of rejection. Which is why she was surprised that she kissed her earlier. That was an act of bravery. But then again, Jane was a very brave woman.

They didn't walk very far from Jane's apartment, maybe a block and a half before returning to the steps. Jane's feet started to get numb because she hadn't intended on taking such a long walk, and she was only in her sneakers and no socks.

"My feet are freezing." Jane said softly as she ascended the steps holding Jo in one arm and Maura on the other.

"I'm starting to feel the chill also. I hope your apartment is warm."

"Are you staying?"

"Do you want me to?"

Jane chuckled, "I mean yeah of course I do. I just thought that you probably thought I'd lost my mind for…" She paused, not uttering the words. Having Maura here with her even after kissing her earlier, made her realize that Maura was not going anywhere. She was stuck with her. And Jane really liked the idea of that.

"For what?" Maura knew damned well what Jane was going to say. A mischievous grin played across her face.

Jane felt the heat rising in her face as she reached and opened the outer door; she nudged Maura inside first and shut the door behind them. They walked slowly to her apartment as Jane formulated a response.

"Do you regret it?" Maura asked softly as they came to Jane's door.

Jane paused before turning the lock. "I never regret going with my gut." She winked at her as she pushed the door opened and put Jo Friday down.

"Oh, so your gut told you to kiss me?"

Jane laughed as she nudged Maura inside her apartment. "I'm kidding, Maur…" Jane groaned and pulled her coat off. She tossed it on the side of the couch. "Of course I don't regret it."

Maura removed her coat and sat down on Jane's couch. "I'm glad because it was very special to me."

"Me too," Jane said coming to Maura's side and sitting down. "Would you like something warm to drink?"

"Oh yes! Do you have cider?"

Jane winced, "Oh…Um, I have some cocoa. Will that do?"

Maura nodded, "Of course." She removed her shoes and then her socks. "My feet are a little cold too."

Jane was at the kitchen sink washing her hands. She will never wash her hands again without thinking about Maura's hand-washing tutorial earlier today. "Look in the spare room for a blanket. I'll turn the heat up in a minute." She said as she started preparing the cocoa. Maura obeyed and retrieved the heavy wool blanket from the spare room and spread it out on the couch.

She sat back against the couch, watching Jane and waiting for her to bring the hot cocoa. A few minutes later, Jane was ready and brought their cups over, handing Maura one. She sat down carefully beside Maura and sipped it slowly.

"I hope you don't think differently about me because I kissed you. I just…" Jane sighed and sipped her hot cocoa, "I can't even explain what I felt. Everything inside of me at that moment, said that it was the right thing to do."

Maura nodded and sipped. For the first time in a very long time, Maura didn't trust herself enough to speak.

"And I'm not ashamed." Jane's voice was so smooth and calm, "But I do apologize if my actions offended you in any way, Maur. That's the last thing that I wanted to do."

Maura shook her head slowly and reached over and placed her mug down on the coffee table. She reached and took Jane's from her hand and placed it beside hers. "I'm not offended, so please do not apologize for it."

Jane's eyes scanned Maura's for any sign that she was just sugar coating it just to spare her feelings and she found none. "What does that mean? I mean, you're the doctor. What does that say about me?"

Maura shook her head, "I'm not sure what you're asking, Jane."

"A woman just doesn't wake up one day and say, 'Oh, I'm going to kiss my best friend, who just happens to be a woman also.'"

"Jane, what is bothering you?"

"Nothing." She looked away from Maura, unable to handle the way her beaming hazel eyes made her feel inside. "Don't mind me."

"I will mind you. You're my business remember, Jane?" Jane didn't respond so Maura pulled the blanket back and moved closer to her. She put her arm around Jane, half embracing her, and sighed softly, "Talk to me please, Jane?"

Jane felt Maura's breath on the side of her face and her close proximity began to make her feel a bit nervous. Jane turned slowly to meet Maura's gaze. "It makes me wonder what's going on with me. Why was I so inclined to press my lips against yours? You're not a guy."

Maura smiled and chuckled lightly, "No, I'm definitely not that. Are you more bothered by the kiss itself or by the fact that I was the one whom you kissed?"

"That's just it! I'm not bothered at all. I actually wanted to do it and I liked it when I did it and…" Jane sighed heavily and looked into Maura's eyes, hoping that she could read her. Of course Maura could. Maura knew Jane better than anyone.

"And what?"

The way Jane looked at her reminded her of the day when they were sitting in the park, and Maura was upset after finding out the corpse in the morgue was her half-brother. Jane had made contact that day, touching her softly on the thigh as she talked and cried. Maura noticed Jane gazing at her lips then. She was an expert on body language. She knew that Jane wanted to kiss her, but she pretended not to notice; even dismissed it as wishful thinking.

But here it was again in living color. Maura knew the answer to her own question. She usually could finish Jane's sentences with little effort. Their friends and family called it friend sense, but it felt so much stronger and more meaningful than that.

"And I want to do it again." Jane said so matter of factually.

Maura nodded. "We want the same thing I believe."

Jane nodded slowly and ran her fingers through her hair. "I've never had a desire to kiss a woman before. Not until you."

"Neither have I." Maura said as she placed her hand on Jane's face, caressing it slowly. "What made you change your perspective?"

"You did." Jane said as she broke the connection between them and stood up. She wanted to test her theory. "You see. Did you feel that?"

"What, Jane?" Maura frowned a bit and shook her head. "Feel what?"

"That's another thing I can't explain," She said as she commenced pacing the floor, "Your touch has energy, and I feel it. It feels like electricity to me. Warm electricity." She paused in front of her. "Do you feel that when I touch you?"

Maura simply shook her head.

Jane sat down quickly beside her and cupped Maura's face between her warm hands. Maura gasped, not out of pain, but out of surprise as Jane moved in closer to her, slowly gliding her fingers down the sides of Maura's face, her thumbs hovering right above her lips. Jane's thumbs traced the outline of Maura's lips, never touching them, but allowing her own aura to caress them for her. Maura began to tremble as her eyes held on to Jane's gaze.

"Tell me that you don't feel me like I feel you… and I'll never bring it up again." Jane whispered.

Maura opened her mouth for a quick response but paused as Jane's index fingers caressed the soft skin beneath her ears, Jane's eyes burrowed holes through Maura's heart as it sought entrance into the same place Maura had entered last night.

"I know you feel it," Jane said as she leaned in slowly and grazed her lips across Maura's chin, kissing her softly. Maura swallowed hard as Jane's lips paused right below her ear. "Don't you?"

Maura nodded briskly, goosebumps prickled her entire body as Jane closed the personal space boundaries in order to prove her point. "Yes, I do."

Jane sighed with relief and pulled away from her. "What is this?"

Maura's body trembled lightly as she sat quietly collecting herself. "I believe it's called attraction."

Jane smiled and nodded, "You're attracted to me, huh?"

"Just about as much as you are to me."

Jane smiled at her and gazed into her eyes for a long while. She stood up slowly and grabbed the remote for the stereo, clicking it on. She held out her hand.

"What?" Maura said chuckling.

"Let's dance?"

"Certainly!" Maura said as she took Jane's hand.

Jane pulled her quickly to her feet and commenced a slow dance with her. Jane wrapped her hands tightly around Maura's waist and pulled her close, while Maura draped her hands over Jane's shoulders hugging her neck tightly.

"What the hell are we doing, Maur?" Jane smiled.

"I have no idea," she chuckled. "I really don't want to define this right now." She said as she placed her head on Jane's chest. Jane responded by kissing the top of her head as Maura's golden locks caressed her face.

"Why not?"

"Because I just want to feel this with you, Jane. I just want to feel it."

Silence draped over them for a few minutes as they danced slowly to the tunes of the music. Jane reached up and took Maura's hands, entwining their fingers together and bringing their arms back down to her waist. This allowed for Maura's body to press firmly against hers as they danced.

"This feels good." Jane whispered in Maura's ear.

A few more minutes rolled by and Maura released Jane's hands and turned around with her back facing Jane. She pulled Jane's hands around her and wrapped Jane's arms around her as she reached up and cupped the back of Jane's head. Naturally, Jane leaned in and kissed her lightly on the side of the face as their body's moved and swayed to the music. Jane tightened her grip, pulling Maura closer into her embrace.

"Can we go to bed now?" Jane asked.

"I'd like that." She said as she led Jane to the bedroom, where she quickly stripped down to her underwear and hopped into the bed.

Jane chuckled and removed her clothing and grabbed a pair of warm pajama bottoms from her dresser drawer. After putting them on, she climbed into the bed with Maura.

Maura laid there smiling at her. There wasn't any pressure from her to do anything but be there with her. Jane knew this, but as Jane moved closer to her, she felt the need to kiss her again.

"You're going to get cold tonight." Jane said glancing down at her scantily clad body.

"I'll be fine." She said softly as Jane hovered over her.

Jane moved closer to her until their legs touched. Jane's eyes quickly scanned Maura's body as she took a mental picture of this beautiful creature laying with her tonight. After a moment, Jane's eyes fixed on Maura's lips again, and then to her warm and inviting eyes.

"Kiss me again, Jane." Maura whispered. Her request didn't needed to be repeated twice. Seconds later Jane was leaning in. Maura met her half way this time, their lips touching again, their hearts came crashing together.

"Mmmaura," Jane moaned into Maura's mouth as she was overtaken by the same rush she felt before.

Maura's lips were softer than anything she'd ever kissed before. They trembled as Maura's soft sighs escaped between kisses. Jane had to work hard to control herself the moment she felt Maura's fingers lace through her hair, tugging it slightly as she kissed her. Being here with Maura made her forget all and everything else.

She pulled away and stared into Maura's eyes. Try as she might, she could not find one thing wrong with this situation. Maura's eyes smiled at her without saying a word. She felt safe with her, comforted, and complete. Maura recaptured her lips, kissing her with more passion than before. After a few seconds, she released her again.

"I think I may be in love with you," Jane whispered softly against Maura's lips. Her body trembled in Maura's arms.

"I think I may be in love with you too, Jane."

Jane sighed heavily, "I'm scared." She said as she wrapped her arms tightly around Maura, pulling her into a spoon cuddle, Jane's body wrapping hers perfectly as Maura relaxed onto her.

"I'm afraid too." She said taking Jane's hand and tucking it underneath her side. "Things are changing for us. That's frightening."

Jane leaned and placed a soft kiss on the back of Maura's neck. "It sure is."

"Just promise me that regardless of how terrifying it becomes, please don't run away from me."

"I could never do that." She said tightening her embrace.

"Neither could I, Jane," Maura sighed as she settled her head onto her pillow.

"I thought I was going to be sleeping alone tonight. You surprised me." She laughed.

Maura chuckled lightly as she grew even more sleepier. "I'm full of surprises, Jane."

"I like the sound of that."

Maura squeezed Jane's hand. "Me too." She yawned lightly. "Do you know what else I like the sound of?"

"What?"

"The sound you make when you're sleeping peacefully in my arms."

Jane was silenced. She'd never thought of herself as a peaceful sleeper, but Maura saw something totally different. When she was sleeping in Maura's embrace, she slept like a baby. That meant something and it spoke volumes.

Jane released her and switched positions, allowing for Maura's petite slender body to spoon hers. They settled into the perfect position seconds later, with Jane as the little spoon and Maura holding her tightly.

"Good night, Maur…. Thanks for this." She sighed softly.

"Good night, Jane." Maura whispered, kissing her lightly on the shoulder and settling her head next to her. It took just a few minutes for Jane to drift off to sleep, snoozing securely in Maura's arms.

And Maura quickly followed her...

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading and following. Now that the girls have discovered a mutual feeling, it could only get better from here (that is if I write it correctly! :-)).**


	5. Sweetest Slumber

**Chapter 5 – Sweetest Slumber**

Jane's eyes opened slowly and as she took in her surroundings she realized that it was only a dream. She sighed heavily as she felt the sweat trickle down her face. Wait... it was just a _dream_ , not a nightmare. This was the first time that Jane had awakened in her own bed without having a nightmare. Her arm was wrapped around Maura's body as she slept in Jane's embrace.

That's why she slept so peacefully last night…

Jane tightened her grip on Maura, pulling the source of her security closer to her heart. Maura sighed contently and moved her head a little, aligning her lips with Jane's covered breasts. Jane swallowed hard, but as much as she tried to, she could not ignore the fact that the only thing separating Maura's lips from her hardening nipple was a thin piece of fabric. Jane took a deep breath and exhaled quietly, trying to calm her racing heart.

If her heart rate became any faster, it would certainly wake Maura from her peaceful slumber. Jane glanced over at the clock. The alarm would be going off shortly. All she had to do was just calm herself down and go back to sleep. But how could she? Maura's warm breaths tantalized her nipple, causing it to become harder by the second. She was surprised that Maura couldn't feel it pressed against her face. Jane tried to move over slightly, but Maura was her shadow; perfectly matching her movements in her sleep. It was amazing!

How could she possibly anticipate Jane's movements while unconscious? It was too much for her to contemplate at the moment so she just laid there quietly, holding Maura's soft and silky body near to her. Maura moved slightly, bringing her leg up and entwining it with Jane's as she rested her hand at the bottom seam of Jane's tank top. Her fingertips lay right underneath the seam, her skin lightly contacting with Jane's.

Jane's eyes fluttered shut momentarily as she eyed Maura nervously. She willed her heart to remain calm as Maura's hand crept slowly across Jane's belly traveling at snail's pace up towards her breasts. It was then that Jane realized that Maura was awake now, only pretending to be asleep. Jane remained quiet and watched her...

Maura's soft hand slowly glided over Jane's solid abdomen, pressing it lightly examining the beautifully sculptured body of the woman whom she adored. Jane struggled to fight off the goosebumps from prickling her skin; that would have been a dead giveaway that she was aware of Maura's actions. She sighed and tilted her head to the side so she could watch her without being seen. Maura paused and looked up at Jane. Jane's eyes were closed, Jane was asleep… or so she thought.

As Maura commenced exploring Jane's body once again, Jane opened her eyes slightly, just wide enough to allow the light to filter in so she could see her. Maura pulled Jane's tank up slightly, exposing her navel and soft flawless belly. Jane felt Maura's breath on her belly as Maura pressed her face softly against Jane's skin.

Jane suppressed a pleasurable sigh that almost escaped as Maura's lips pressed softly against her stomach. Her kisses were soft and gentle. One after another she placed kisses on the most delicate spot of her belly. Her lips glided across Jane's bikini line and then up to her navel. Jane could not believe Maura was doing this to her while she was "sleeping". Maura's slender fingers gripped the sides of Jane's belly as she continued to kiss her softly. Her hair fell onto Jane's stomach, tickling her. It was sweet torture.

Jane couldn't control the movements that her body made. Her body betrayed her, causing her embarrassment, because she well knew that Maura could see her nipples hardening. Maura pushed Jane's tank up further and gently tucked it under Jane's chin. Jane wanted so badly to open her eyes and see this but she was too nervous. Somewhere deep inside of her she feared that if she let Maura know that she was awake, that she would stop. And she didn't want her to stop…

Jane fought hard to keep from trembling as she felt Maura's warm breath hovering above her left nipple. What was she doing? Why wasn't she continuing? Jane gave up fighting her body's natural inclinations and gave in to the feeling. She sighed lightly and moved her head back to the right. Her entire body buzzed with a new feeling of arousal as she felt Maura lean in slowly… Painfully slow to be exact. Finally she encircled her nipple with her warm tongue. The anticipation of this moment only increased Jane's arousal. Those few moments of waiting for Maura to act deepened her pleasure.

Maura's tongue made gentle circles, silent orbits around Jane's erect nipple, as she slid her hands underneath Jane, cuddling her closer. Maura's hair covered Jane's chest like a blanket as her lips captured the nipple, sucking it deep into her mouth. While the nipple was inside of Maura's mouth, her tongue twirled it and did something so inexplicably amazing that Jane couldn't even describe it if she tried. But it felt something like Maura's tongue had a motor in it, softly vibrating as it twirled Jane in her mouth.

The very thought of Maura using that beautiful talent other places on her body, electrified Jane. She couldn't pretend any longer. She brought her hand up, cupping Maura's head as she continued to kiss and suck on her nipple. "Mmm," she moaned lightly to let Maura know she that felt everything she was doing. Maura looked up at her and immediately her eyes lit up when she saw Jane gazing down at her. "What are you doing?" Jane whispered with a smile.

Maura released her nipple, causing Jane's skin to finally prickle with excitement. "Oh no…" She pouted playfully, "It looks like I've been caught."

"Uh… Yeah, I'd say so." Jane said softly. Her heart raced in her chest as she massaged Maura's scalp with her trembling fingers. "Do you misbehave like this every time you sleep with me?"

Maura chuckled, "No." She said as she laid her head across Jane's breasts, "But I've dreamt of doing it so many times."

A shiver passed through Jane's body. "What the hell was that you were doing with your tongue?" She asked.

Maura chuckled. "That's my secret. Did you like it?"

"Yes. It felt awesome… Do you like them?" She asked, subconsciously pulling Maura's head back towards her nipple.

"Very much so," Maura exhaled, gliding her lips over it. "May I finish?" she asked.

"Yes." Jane would have to be insane to reject that offer. "Only if you want to."

Maura rose up and smiled at her. "I don't want to…" she said leaning in and kissing her lightly on the lips, "I need to." The Doctor had a way with words for sure.

Jane smiled at her and nodded. Jane felt so safe with Maura. Outside of her family bonds, she'd never felt so safe with anyone before. This was all new to Jane. Maura was the first female to ever lay her lips on her breasts, and she may very well be the last too. Maura's confidence level was noteworthy. She gave Jane a reason to not feel like she had to be strong all the time. Deep down, Jane wanted to be a girly girl and do girly things and be treated like a softer female. And for so long she'd been searching for someone who would treat her like one.

"How was it… sucking them?" Jane asked breathlessly. "Are they enough for you?"

Maura had taken Jane's hands and placed them above her head underneath the pillow while she kissed her neck. Maura was very slow and methodical, very much like she was when she was performing an autopsy. She was concise and deliberate. Her lips had traveled down to Jane's ear as she straddled her in the bed.

Jane's mind raced with so many thoughts as Maura settled her weight on her lap. First of all, she thought that she had to be dreaming, that she was not actually making out with Maura in her bed, and Maura was not actually sitting on top of her, riding her like she had a d...

"You're driving me crazy, Maur." Jane groaned as she trembled underneath Maura.

Maura's lips encircled Jane's right nipple, nibbling it lightly before she sucked it into her mouth.

"Mmm…Oh, god… Maura…Yeah..." Jane had no idea she could be so verbal! All her past lovers had to work to get her to say as much as " _oh baby_ ", but not Maura. Just one touch from her had Jane hitting all kinds of notes.

Jane reached and grabbed Maura's head gently; the sensation was too much for her to just keep her hands still.

"Maura…" Jane called her name softly and when her hazel eyes met her brown ones, Jane's heart quivered inside. Maura gazed lovingly into her eyes as she continued to kiss her breasts. Jane felt them again, those tears stinging her eyes, but she dared not shut her eyes and remove this beautiful image from before her.

Maura's tongue appeared and traced Jane's line of symmetry up her torso, and to her chin where she kissed her lightly, never once taking her eyes off of her. Maura's kisses were so tender, loving, and safe.

"Maur…" Jane's pet name for her beloved best friend dripped off of her lips. "I…" before she could finish her sentence, Maura was there, her lips pressing softly against Jane's. "I...love you," Jane said, her words bouncing off of Maura's lips that were hovering right above hers.

"I love you too." Maura affirmed her love for Jane before capturing her lips once again, forcing Jane to accept the pent up passion she had long ignored and denied its existence.

Maura's tongue appeared, shyly at first, just grazing the edge of Jane's top lip as it sought permission to join the kiss. Jane didn't respond at first. And that was fine, because Maura tried again, this time seizing an opportunity to slip it gently inside Jane's mouth as Jane kissed her. Her tongue gently slid in caressing Jane's top lip before dipping inside, brushing lightly against Jane's tongue. The moment Jane's tongue felt Maura's, it was all over…

Jane whimpered, capturing Maura's tongue and taking it fully into her mouth, accepting all of her offer in one instance. Maura moaned lightly as their kiss intensified. They were in full blown make-out mode and they were enjoying every minute.

"I need to warn you about something…" Maura said pulling away from Jane.

"What?" Jane asked quickly before pulling Maura back to her lips.

Maura's body began moving in ways that Jane never thought she would ever experience. Maura's body had slipped between Jane's legs and was now grinding slowly and passionately as they kissed.

"I wake up aroused," Maura said softly. "Practically every day… So it's just a fair warning if later you want to sleep in separate beds. I'll understand completely."

A smile crept across Jane's face, but she opted not to say what was on her mind. "I would have never guessed you wake up horny." She said as Maura dipped in and kissed her on the neck, her tongue tracing her neckline up to her ear.

"Your body feels so amazing to me." Her trembling voice whispered into her ear. "I've never wanted someone as much as I want you."

"Thank you."

Maura's lips found hers again and they kissed slowly, passionately, as their bodies moved together. They were slowly becoming familiar with each other. Jane hadn't a clue of how to make love to a woman, but as Maura's body moved atop of hers, she couldn't help but wonder how. She was definitely going to find out.

The clock alarm went off, startling both of them.

Maura started chuckling. "Looks like you were saved by the bell, Detective."

Jane groaned, "Let's play hooky?"

Maura smiled and Jane could see that she was really contemplating the idea, but they each had a dedicated work ethic that wouldn't allow them to put personal things before the oath.

"You know we can't call out today, Jane…" Maura sighed and kissed her lightly on the lips, "I wish we could, though."

Jane nodded. "Can I have a raincheck?"

Maura's smile lit up the room, "You certainly can! When can we continue this? " Jane's face must have betrayed her anxiety. Maura's expression softened a bit. "There's no pressure. Let's just do whatever comes natural for us okay?"

Jane nodded. "How about tonight after work, I come over to your place?"

Maura smiled, "Okay."

"And we can go from there?"

"I think that sounds great." Maura said as she rolled over and pulled Jane into her arms. She kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You make me so happy, Jane." She sighed.

Jane smiled. Maura made happier than anyone she'd ever been with before. She was so comfortable in Maura's arms. Her skin smelled sweet like vanilla and her hands were so soft and warm. Jane inhaled deeply and basked in this moment.

She felt completely at peace. The only fear that she currently experienced was a new one. It was a fear of losing this special gift that had been given her. She couldn't bear the thought of ever losing _this_ , or Maura… As the minutes rolled by, they both knew they had to get up and start their day. And as Jane thought about the fast approaching evening, anxiety began to creep up inside of her. Never in her life had she experienced this much performance anxiety!

She sighed. The only thing she could do to remedy this would be to research and learn some techniques before tonight. Maura's prowess was intimidating! It was downright frightening anticipating satisfying Maura's nearly insatiable sexual appetite. But regardless of how nervous she was, it was inevitable.

Whether she was ready or not, she and Maura were going to make love tonight...

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading!**


	6. Tonight

**Chapter 6 - Tonight** ( _Warning: This update packs some heat)_

Jane still couldn't believe what she woke up to this morning. Maura was definitely a special person. Jane could really get used to waking up like that every damn morning. Seriously, she wouldn't need anything else if Maura awakened her everyday like she did today. That would be perfect…

Jane chuckled and ran her hand through her hair. She already missed Maura and couldn't wait until this evening. She opened her laptop and gazed around to make sure no one was looking on, particularly Angela. Jane had taken her lunch and decided to go down to the café to have a sandwich and do a little research. Of course by the time she got down there, Angela was hovering near her trying to socialize with her and trying to discuss everything from linens to an unsolved murder case from thirty years ago.

After Jane had gotten rid of her, she grabbed a table in the corner, and began her research. She didn't even know where to begin or how to search for what she was looking for so she just started where she always started… Google.

She ran a search for "How to please a woman" and came up with several articles on different Men's sites about pleasing a woman, but Jane hardly felt that it was credible, considering she was… well, a woman. So the idea struck her. She backspaced and typed in: "How do female couples please each other?" And a plethora of hits came back. She was amazed. She just had to use the right keywords and the treasure chest was opened for her.

There were some wikihows, about dot com articles, etc. None really struck her as something that she wanted to learn from. Then she stumbled across a website that promised to teach her how to please her female lover by use of illustrated tutorials and videos. Why in the hell did she click?

There she was, sitting in the café, reading and soaking in all this valuable information, getting a crash course on female to female lovemaking. Her brain could not get enough and she was getting turned on. From what she read, making love to a woman was an art, and you had to work at it until you've perfected your skill if you were going to please her well.

Jane began to wonder if Maura had been with another woman prior to her, because Maura sure knew how to entice and arouse her and they hadn't even had sex yet! Shivers raced through her body as she watched tutorials on proper oral techniques.

Jane took a huge gulp of her water and tugged on her collar to release some of the steam that was building up. She had never seen anything so hot before in her life! She just wanted to call it a day and go home and learn more. She wanted to be ready. From the looks of it, she could do it.

Jane's heart raced as she contemplated doing these things to Maura. She'd already discovered a couple of sweet spots, but she knew also that Maura liked to control things. Apparently from what she read, in every relationship there is one that is more dominant. Jane had always seen herself as a dominant type of person, but Maura has proved her wrong. Maura liked the top spot and she wasn't afraid to let her know. And Jane didn't mind that at all. She wasn't nearly as sexually confident as Maura was, and she wasn't afraid to admit that either.

Maura liked to please. Pleasing Jane was seemingly a stimulant for her as well. It was a win win situation. But Jane had to do something in return.

She really wanted to get down to the nitty gritty and taste Maura's heavenly sweetness. There would be enough time for that. So she needed to learn the foreplay, the same kind of stuff Maura was doing this morning… Yeah, she needed to learn that!

Jane swallowed hard as the images played across the screen, the sounds of the woman's pleasure filled her ears through her earbuds. She sounded like she was really enjoying what her lover was doing. Her lover had begun the foreplay by kissing her. Deep sexy French kisses that made Jane tremble with excitement. And then she kissed her softly particularly on her shoulders and arms. And then as time progressed she made her way south, where she settled on the woman's beautifully aroused clit. That woman performed a miracle, Jane believed, with a tongue so talented that it made Jane wish she was the one getting it.

"Holy shit…That's hot," Jane gasped as the woman deepened her kisses and intensified her licks. The receiving lover's body trembled as she moaned her name and uttered undecipherable words through her trembling lips. The woman's hand reached down and grabbed her lover's head, pulling her deeper into her body, slowly riding her lover's lips as her excitement built. The sounds their bodies made were incredibly arousing.

Jane wished that she could make Maura moan as loud as the woman on her laptop was moaning. She yearned to cause Maura to feel so much pleasure that she would literally melt in her arms. Jane imagined the two lovers were her and Maura. Jane broke into a sweat as she thought of tasting Maura the same way, making love to her so passionately that she'd scream out her name. Then the oddest thing happened. While she was contemplating that idea, her mouth began to water. Could she really desire Maura so much that she'd developed a hunger for her? That was just … Wow.

Something… A flash of red caught Jane's eye and she looked up. To her surprise Maura was standing there at the table smiling at her.

Jane froze. She didn't know whether to close the cover really quick or simply minimize the screen or nothing at all. Her mouth dropped open to greet her but nothing came out. Slowly she pulled an earbud out of her left ear, the sounds of lovemaking still playing in her right ear.

"Hey…" She greeted Maura. "Where did you come from?"

"Hi. Did you get my text?" Maura asked softly.

"Uh… Hmm," Jane said as she unclipped her phone from her side and scrolled through Maura's texts. She had sent three. Two job related and one really cute selfie. "Sorry, I didn't know you texted me." Jane was completely out of sorts. She felt the situation to be a bit surreal at the moment.

"Are you okay, Jane?" Maura said as she took the seat opposite of her.

It was then that Jane pulled the other earbud out and slammed the cover closed quickly.

"Uh, yeah. I was just… Uh…" What was she going to tell her? I was watching porn during lunch?

Maura chuckled. "Ut oh, you have on your guilty face. What are you up to, Detective?"

Jane smiled. This woman knew her better than anyone. She slowly shook her head. "You really don't wanna know."

"Of course I do."

Jane sighed. She knew that if she didn't tell her, she'd eventually start pouting and she couldn't handle those pouting eyes of hers. "Are you on lunch?"

"I can be if you need me to be."

"It's really no big deal, I just don't feel comfortable showing you here."

"Okay. Let's go to my car, it's parked in the back."

"Great," Jane said as she gathered her laptop and Maura's hand and made a dash for the door. When they got around back to Maura's car and got in, Jane sighed heavily. "You're really going to think I'm a perv, I know it."

Maura laughed and frowned, "Why would I think that?"

Jane opened her laptop and replayed the video tutorial from the beginning. She pulled out the earbuds and set the volume on low, but high enough to hear.

Maura's mouth dropped open and she looked over at Jane, "Jane, you were watching porn?"

"No, it's not like that. Watch." Jane said as she pointed to the screen. The instructor was the actual lover who performed mostly in this particular tutorial. She began by stating that the keys to satisfying your lover is to be in tune with her body, to know the signs that she is either enjoying or not, and to be adaptable.

Maura glanced over at Jane and a slight smile played on the corner of her lips. Jane was relieved because she knew from that tiny smile, that Maura approved. Maura's body relaxed a bit as she turned the volume up a little. Periodically she would glance around to make sure none of her crime techs were walking up on them.

"This is an interesting video," Maura said lightly.

Jane could see her cheeks flushing red as she began tugging at her collar. Jane couldn't help but to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"Are you getting hot?"

Maura smiled and shook her head. "It's only natural for the body to react to external stimuli of this nature."

"Is that a yes or no, Doc?"

Maura chuckled and fanned herself. "Absolutely yes."

Jane laughed and got comfortable in the passenger seat and reclined to watch the show. She felt it was so awkward that she and Maura were sitting in the car watching a tutorial of this type. By now, they had gotten to the part right before Jane was interrupted.

Maura had to turn the volume down a bit as the woman on the screen let her lover know how much she was enjoying it.

"Oh my god…" Maura exhaled.

Jane reached over and touched her lightly on the arm. "I really hope I can make you feel that good tonight." Her fingers ran along the length of Maura's forearm, caressing the goosebumps that had immediately appeared.

Maura turned to Jane and stared at her. She didn't say anything for a long time, it seemed like her mind was struggling with something. And then she sighed lightly and smiled, "You will."

Jane took the laptop and closed it, taking it away from Maura and placing it on the floorboard. Maura watched every movement quietly. She didn't have to guess what Jane was up to.

"I'm so upset with you, Jane," Maura said as Jane reached and began caressing her face.

"Why?" She asked as she moved closer to her, grazing her lips across Maura's chin, and then her cheek, finally settling on that soft spot below her ear that she discovered to be a sweet spot. "What did I do?" She whispered softly into Maura's ear.

Maura's body trembled gently as Jane's soft lips kissed her neck, her warm tongue tracing her lobe, encircling it and sucking it into her mouth. Jane purposely breathed hot breaths into Maura's ear, causing her tremors to increase.

"Mmm," Maura moaned lightly as she pressed her face against Jane's lips. "I'm so aroused right now… and I need to go back to work."

"I want you badly right now." Jane whispered before dipping her tongue inside of her ear.

"Oh Jane," Maura seemed to heat up even more. "You used Mr. Adverb."

"You see, I can learn anything in order to make you happy, baby…" Jane's lips captured Maura's ear lobe and mimicked the same tongue action they had seen on the laptop just a few minutes earlier. Jane got her point across very clearly. Given the chance, she could make Maura feel the same way that the instructor in the video made her lover feel. Maura was a genius alright, but Jane was a smart woman too, with the ability to learn things quickly.

"Jane…" Maura exhaled as Jane's hand landed on her thigh, and crept up slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Shh," Jane whispered as she moved her hand up. "I can't send you back to work all hot and bothered, now can I?"

"What?" Maura began to protest, "Someone will see."

"Not from here. Look," Jane said as she tipped her head towards the loading dock. A delivery truck was blocking the view of the door.

"Oh my god," Maura sighed as she realized she had no reason now to say no. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure," Jane said as she kissed her neck. "I'm not as evil as you."

"What do you mean," Maura moaned a little when Jane's hand slipped underneath her skirt. "I'm not evil." She chuckled a bit.

"See, that's your evil genius laugh. Did you forget about what you did to me this morning?"

"Oh…Yeah…" Maura sighed deeply as Jane's tongue grazed over her chin. "Kiss me."

Jane obliged and kissed her. Each time they kissed, they learned to anticipate the other's movements until they had synchronized them. Finally, they were in sync. Maura reached and reclined her seat about thirty degrees, enough to be comfortable and enough to still be able to spot anyone coming towards them.

Their kiss was passionate and perfectly timed. Jane's hand arrived at Maura's panties. She chuckled as she dipped her fingers inside of her panties, lightly caressing Maura's softness. She was so smooth it was amazing. Maura wasn't kidding. She was very aroused and dripping wet.

"You're going to need to do something quickly," Maura said breathlessly.

As Jane opened her eyes she saw that Maura was looking at her. It was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. "Okay." Jane said as she slid her trembling fingers inside of Maura.

Maura's eyes fluttered shut momentarily and then they fixed back on Jane's. Maura's hand came up and cupped the back of Jane's head as Jane's fingers dipped inside of her. Jane's arm moved Maura's leg to give her better access, and when she did, Jane continued to fondle her, third knuckle deep.

"More." Maura whispered as her eyes held Jane's gaze. "I need more."

Jane obliged and slipped a second finger inside. Maura gasped and pulled Jane closer into an embrace.

"I love you," Jane said as she whispered into Maura's ear. "You are so goddamn sexy."

Maura's pants turned into whimpers as her body began to tremble. "So are you."

"Does it feel good?"

"Yes… Mmm… ummm..." Maura was holding in her expressions. "I don't want to scream."

"Go ahead and scream." Jane kissed her lightly on the lips. Maura's eyes were glazed over with passion. "Tell me what you want, baby? I'll do anything for you." Jane could feel the juices began to flow over her fingers. The sound of it was incredible, as well as what Maura felt like inside. She'd never imagined that she would ever get a chance to feel such intimate places.

"Taste your fingers."

Jane paused, that wasn't exactly what she thought she was going to say, but oh well. "What?"

"I want you to taste your fingers. Taste me."

Jane obeyed and withdrew her fingers from her. Her fingers were glazed with Maura's sugary sweet essence. Jane looked at her fingers and then back at Maura.

"Do you love me?" Maura whispered.

"Yes, I do. You know that."

"Show me…" Maura's eyes were hypnotic as she commanded Jane to prove her love in this simple, but intimate way. "Show me."

Without further hesitation, Jane slipped her fingers into her mouth gliding her fingers all the way to the back of her throat before sliding them out. She made sure that her tongue captured every ounce of Maura's essence before she completely removed them.

Jane sat there momentarily, shocked that someone could taste so sweet. She opened her mouth to speak, to say something… anything, but words failed her. She just gazed into Maura's eyes, her heart racing wildly in her chest.

Maura reached up and cupped her face and smiled. Her eyes glanced down at Jane's lips and the only thing Jane wanted to do was kiss her. So she did. She leaned in and kissed her slowly, Maura's tongue dipped inside and passionately kissed her, tasting herself on Jane's tongue and lips. Jane's entire system was in shock at the moment. Maura's kisses were paralyzing.

Maura pulled away and looked into Jane's eyes. She gently strummed her fingers through Jane's hair as Jane sat there staring at her lips and trembling with an emotion that just appeared out of nowhere. It was nothing short of raw passion. She wanted to take Maura right then and there. She could care less if she was at work.

"I love tasting myself on your lips," Maura exhaled as she pressed her forehead against Jane's.

"Let's go home," Jane whispered.

"You know we can't right now." Maura said as she kissed her on the forehead.

Jane groaned. "How are you going to start this and leave me hanging?" She stole another kiss.

Maura chuckled, "I started it? You were the one who insisted on putting your fingers inside of me."

Jane groaned again. She wasn't sure if she could wait until tonight. She just got a taste of something that she really liked. And she wanted more. She tucked her head into the crook of Maura's neck and sighed. She felt sad that she was going to have to part with her, even if it was for a few hours.

What the hell was this? Why were her emotions all over the place? Why had Maura changed her life in such a profound way so quickly? All of these questions bounced around in her mind.

Maura pulled her closer and stroked her hair. "I'll miss you until I see you again tonight." She just verbalized Jane's feelings.

"What are you doing to me, Maur?" Jane whispered as she placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"I could ask you the same thing." She sighed heavily.

"I'm so nervous."

Maura chuckled. "I am too. We will do whatever is natural. No pressure."

Jane sighed and nodded. "You're right. It's not like we are virgins."

Maura sat up and adjusted her seat. "Technically we are."

They both shared a laugh and kissed one last time. Jane glanced down at her watch.

"Fuck…"

"I know. I must get back too. Susie is probably wondering where I am."

Jane just nodded. She felt a dull ache in her heart. She didn't take it as a bad type of aching, maybe it was a yearning. Yearning for Maura's love.

Maura placed another gentle kiss on her and smiled against Jane's lips. "I know this may be too early, but…" she sighed and paused.

"What is it?"

"If you would like me exclusively, I am willing… I mean, that is if after tonight you still would like to pursue it."

Jane smiled, "Really?"

"Yes. I mean, if you're not ready, I completely understand."

Jane smiled again. Thinking back of how Maura was there for her as she dealt with her grief, Jane couldn't be any more ready. Maura was really there, not just in words, but in deeds as well. She thought back on that night she held her all night, she spooned her and caressed her belly all night. She couldn't be any more ready.

Maura never skipped a beat when it came to Jane's needs. And this morning! Wow, to be awakened in such a sensual way made Jane's heart swell up even more with love. She still thought about her loss, but Maura had become a happy and welcomed distraction. She wanted to show her just how much her friendship and love was appreciated.

"No…" She said as she caressed her face, "I'm ready."

Maura's smile that followed Jane's statement was a bright one for sure. There was no doubt about it. Maura was happy. And Jane was happy knowing that she was happy.

Jane caught sight of Susie standing at the back door looking in their direction. "Ut oh, Susie's looking for you." Jane said as she tipped her head in that direction.

"Okay," Maura sighed lightly. "I can't wait to see you tonight, Jane."

Jane winked, "I bet you can't."

Maura chuckled and swatted her playfully. Jane leaned and kissed her lightly and exited the car. As she passed Susie, she waved at her quickly and kept walking. She knew that she saw the kiss, but frankly she didn't care. Maura just asked to be exclusive, so she really didn't care who knew.

She was officially Maura's girl…

* * *

 **Later That Night– Maura's House**

Jane knocked lightly on the door and waited for Maura to answer it. She appeared at the door a minute or two later, dressed in a soft pink bathrobe. Jane smiled as she gave her a quick glance up and down.

"Pardon my dress," Maura said lightly.

"Or lack thereof," Jane said stepping over the threshold and embracing her. "How ya doing?"

"I'm doing great now." She said pulling her further in, "Come on in, I was just finishing getting dressed." She said as she started off towards the stairs, but Jane caught her.

"No… What you're wearing is perfect."

Maura blushed and smiled, "Really, Jane? I need to be more presentable for you."

Jane shook her head negatively. "You're fine, just the way you are."

After a moment of silent protesting, Maura finally gave up the fight. "Okay, I'll keep this on." She kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yep." Jane said as she took her seat on the couch. She pulled off her coat and got herself comfortable on the couch. "You know what I like."

After a few quiet moments in the kitchen, Maura reappeared with a glass of wine and a bottle of beer. "Here you go." She said as she handed the bottle to Jane and sat down beside her.

"Thanks," Jane said. She took a sip of the beer, and then another. Suddenly she became aware that Maura was watching her so she looked over and frowned. "What?"

Maura shook her head, "Nothing," she smiled bashfully and Jane's realized that the person whom she was gazing at was exclusively hers. Maura was so beautiful.

"Are you nervous?"

Maura nodded, "A little yes."

"You're probably over processing it. It won't be an autopsy. Hopefully, I'll be livelier than that."

Maura laughed and sipped her wine. "You're so silly."

Jane set her bottle down and reached for Maura's hand. She smiled and put her glass down on the table and took Jane's hand.

"Let's loosen up with a dance?" Maura said getting up. She switched on the stereo and turned it to some hip hop dance tunes.

"Hip Hop? Really?"

Maura put her finger up to shush her. "I would like to show you something." She said as she removed her bathrobe. She had on her beautiful blue lace Victoria's Secret set.

Jane took a gulp. Maura was absolutely stunning!

Maura set the song to _1, 2 Step_ , by the artist named Ciara. Jane immediately started laughing.

"You are not going to get me to dance to that song!"

"Not you… Me." Maura said as she sat Jane down on the edge of the couch and moved her body loosening up. "I told you, I am full of surprises, my love."

Jane was speechless as the song started and Maura's body began to move to this awesome step dance routine. It was fresh and sexy as hell! Maura's flat belly rolled with her moves and Jane couldn't help reaching out to her every time she came near. At one moment, the routine called for Maura to shake her ass in front of Jane and Jane almost died!

She found that her heartbeat was beating to the same rhythm as the music. Fast, purposeful, and full of passion. Maura came close again and Jane grabbed her pulling her in for a kiss. Maura allowed her to kiss her briefly before pulling away.

"I had no idea you could dance like this, Maur." Jane gasped, she couldn't see straight. Maura's sensual essence pervaded the entire room.

"There's a lot you don't know about me. But I'm willing to allow you an opportunity to find out." She said as she took Jane's shoulders and moved seductively in front of her.

Jane leaned in and kissed the area between Maura's breasts, her lips quivering with restraint.

"Don't hold back, Jane. Do what feels natural." Maura encouraged her. She drove her fingers through Jane's hair, but she forced her to remain seated.

Jane moved her lips back and forth, feeling the softness of Maura's skin against her face. She reached and pulled her bra away from her breasts, springing them forth from their bonds. Maura let out a soft sigh as she reached over and turned the stereo system off.

Jane's lips gently grazed over Maura's nipples, very much like she had done her this morning, but of course, she had her own technique. Maura pulled her closer, holding her head tightly. Jane parted her lips, and breathed lightly on Maura's hardened nipples. She felt Maura's fingers clench her hair and pull her slightly closer to the object of her affection.

Jane's tongue appeared and circled Maura's nipple. She wanted to mirror what Maura had done to her, her tenderness, but that didn't feel natural at all. Jane wanted to bite the hell out of her nipples. Jane's hands came up and rested on Maura's ass, kneading her flesh between her fingers as she took her nipple between her teeth and nibbled on it. The suddenness of the sensation caused Maura to cry out with surprise.

Jane paused, unsure if she had hurt her, and looked up at her. Maura smiled upon eye contact and nodded with approval. Jane smiled and nibbled harder, Maura's eyes fluttered shut as she moaned and pulled Jane's hair.

"That feels so good," Maura whispered, pulling Jane's head over to the other one. Jane obeyed and began giving the other nipple the same treatment. Maura was moaning lightly as Jane placed firm love bites on her nipples. "Yes, how did you know I liked this?"

Jane felt the goosebumps flash over Maura's skin as Maura suddenly pulled Jane into a standing position. "Come here." Maura groaned as she pulled Jane's t-shirt over her head and tossed it into the corner. She then kissed her passionately as she walked her over to the couch and pushed her down.

"Whoa, baby…" Jane chuckled as Maura hopped onto her lap and straddled her. She reached up and squeezed her ass. "Damn, you're so sexy." Jane accepted the deep kiss that Maura planted on her lips.

Maura reached and pulled off Jane's sports bra. When she caught sight of her breasts once again, she smiled and licked her lips. "Oh my."

"Do you like?"

Maura nodded. "Yes, I do. Lay down, please." She said as she gently pushed Jane down onto the couch, where she proceeded to give Jane the same treatment as before. Her lips were anxious to taste Jane's breasts once again.

Jane loved the way her lips felt on her body. Jane's hips began to move upwards, moving herself against Maura's heated center. "Oh my god, you're so hot." Jane whispered as she reached up and squeezed Maura's breasts.

Maura leaned in and kissed her, biting her lower lip gently as she pulled away. "Touch me. I'm all yours, Jane."

Jane wasted no time as she reached down and slid her fingers into her panties. They slipped inside of her with ease. Maura was hot and she was ready.

"Oh Jane… Please, I can't wait any longer." Her whimpers hit Jane's ears and pierced her heart. No one had ever yearned for her love so badly before. No one.

Jane sat up and pulled Maura into her lap. "Please say you want me now?"

"Yes." Maura said as she attacked her lips with fevered kisses. "Now please."

Jane stood up and pulled her securely into her arms. Maura had wrapped her feet around Jane's waist, refusing to let go.

"Are we going to make it all the way upstairs like this?"

Maura chuckled, "Sure we will." She leaned in and kissed her slowly, their lips taking their time to taste each other. They both knew her house like the back of their hands, so Jane navigated flawlessly up the stairway and into Maura's bedroom, the entire time they kissed slowly and passionately.

By the time Jane reached the bed Maura hopped down onto the floor and took Jane by the waistline, pushing her gently down on the bed. She crawled on top of her and began kissing her way down her torso. She stopped at the top to her pants.

"You need to come out of these." She chuckled and sighed.

Jane shrugged. "I need a hand." She said as she tucked her hands behind her head and smiled.

Maura accepted the challenge and leaned in, slowly kissing Jane's belly, removing her pants and her panties in a single pull.

"Oh wow!" Jane was impressed.

Maura went back to Jane's lips and kissed her lightly. "Are you okay?"

Jane nodded, this was the moment of truth. She was ready to experience Maura's love as much as Maura was ready to experience hers. "Yes."

Maura smiled and descended Jane's body, kissing her way down to the pulsating center of her being. Jane anticipated Maura's lips being wrapped around her throbbing clit anxiously. As Maura got closer, her heart began to cause her to feel all kinds of weird emotions. Anxiety, fear, excitement, regret, and the list goes on. She almost stopped her, but Maura continuously reminded her of her love, which assured her that they were doing the right thing.

Maura's lips and tongue worked magic on Jane as she had never in her life felt so much pleasure. All of her past lovers did not come close to pleasing her the way that Maura was. Jane felt Maura's love each time her tongue passed over her clit and each time her lips sucked on it. As if she needed reassurance, Maura would moan Jane's name every time she took a breath. She was so gentle, so masterfully delicate and precise with how she pleasured her. Jane felt her orgasm coming on strong like a freight train, but she didn't want to come yet. She wanted to return the deed.

She reached down and gently pulled on Maura's shoulders, "Come here, baby." She whispered breathlessly.

Maura released her and came up to face her. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No… Please, you're perfect…" Jane's body stuttered as she held off her orgasm. She pulled Maura to her lips and kissed her deeply, her tongue dancing with hers as she tasted herself on her lover's lips.

There was no exaggerating the fact that tasting herself on Maura's lips made her temporarily insane with passion. She took Maura and flipped her over onto her back and began her turn in pleasing Maura. In the back of her mind she replayed the video, putting into action the things that she saw and learned.

Maura's body quivered underneath her as she became very verbal. Jane was delighted to hear her name sputtering off of Maura's lips as her tongue did figure eights around Maura's bulging clit. It was so hard that Jane could freely suck and twirl it in her mouth. This drove Maura absolutely insane. She grabbed Jane's head and began riding her face as hard as she could and that was okay because Jane definitely could handle it.

Soon the expletives started rolling off of Maura's tongue and Jane knew she was unraveling. Jane interchanged fast flicks with soft licks as she pleasured Maura. By the time Maura was ready to come, she was speaking another language, possibly Serbian… Jane didn't fucking know, all she knew was this woman was melting underneath her.

"Jane… Oh…Ahh… Jane… Baby… I love you… Yes… Yes!"

Jane was amazed that Maura was getting into it like this. She herself was definitely enjoying it.

"Oh, Jane... Please… Do it with me."

Jane released her quickly, although she really wanted Maura to come while she was licking her, and laid on top of her. She wasn't on top long before Maura switched positions and settled on top, slowly grinding herself against Jane's still aroused pussy.

Maura entwined their fingers and kissed her, all the while grinding them together. When Jane felt Maura's super hard clit rubbing up against hers she knew she would not last long. Plus the sounds of their love slipping together was too much.

"Oh Maur," Jane whispered as she felt her body relinquishing control for an orgasm to take over.

"Jane…" Maura moaned as she placed her head into the crook of Jane's neck and bit her firmly, her orgasm was taking over her as well. Jane could feel it. It was warm, wet, and earth-shaking.

Jane grabbed Maura's ass and pulled her tightly against her as both of their orgasms took them momentarily to another planet. Their bodies trembled together, as they seemed like they were frozen in time, fused together by their love.

After a few minutes, Maura realized that she was still biting Jane's neck and she released her. She kissed her softly as she pressed their heads together.

"That was amazing," she whispered as she placed another soft kiss on Jane's lips.

Jane embraced her, tears flowing freely from her eyes. When Maura caught sight of it, she became alarmed. "Oh my god, did I hurt you?" She asked already nursing the wicked love bite that she placed on her neck. "I'm sorry."

"No… No, it's not that." Jane ran her fingers through Maura's hair.

"What is it, love?" Maura rolled over and put her arm around Jane.

"You make me feel so loved, and I…" Jane paused to wipe the tears away, but Maura got to them first, "I'm not used to it. I don't even feel like I deserve this or you."

Maura's eyes teared up as she watched Jane shed her tears. She was silent while Jane's emotions ran their course. "We deserve each other, Jane."

Jane just stared at her.

"Do you believe me?"

Finally she nodded. "Yeah. But…"

Maura placed a finger over her lips. "No buts. We deserve each other. We are together now, right?"

"Yes."

"We will make this work."

Jane sighed heavily. Maura didn't have to ask what was weighing heavily upon her. She already knew. She could see it in her eyes. She was willing to do whatever she could to make Jane completely happy again. She cupped Jane's face and kissed her lightly.

"Thank you, Maur."

Maura sighed and smiled at her. She truly loved Jane more than anyone alive. She wanted so much more. She didn't just want Friday nights with her, or the weekend if she was lucky. She wanted every day.

"Marry me, Jane." It was more of a statement than a question. "Marry me and we will be able to accomplish all of our dreams together."

Jane's eyes widened. "What?"

Maura nodded. "You don't have to answer right now, but I hope you'll think about it. It'll just be you and I, and maybe later if you want to try again, we can have a baby."

Jane's mouth opened and trembled, "A baby?"

Maura nodded, "Yes…I want to have a child with you. I want to experience that joy again one day."

Jane swallowed hard, "You mean that?"

"Absolutely." Maura said as her hand caressed her belly. "One day you'll carry our child again, and I swear I will do everything I can to protect you both."

"Do you know what you're saying?"

Maura nodded, "Yes, I do. I want you. I want us. I want a family with you."

Jane caressed Maura's face. Just when she thought it was impossible to fall in love any deeper, Maura has gone and caused her to fall deeper.

"You know it's quite possible this is the sex talking. You know that right?"

Maura chuckled and kissed Jane on the tip of her nose. "I'll still feel the same in the morning."

"I hope so." Jane whispered. "I hope so."

Maura assumed the position as the big spoon and held Jane tightly in her arms. She'd never felt so close to her as she does now. Jane relaxed into her arms and sighed.

"I can't see myself being with anyone else except you, Maur. I don't want anyone else."

"Neither do I," Maura said softly as she placed a soft kiss on the back of Jane's neck. "Like I said, you do not need to answer now. Just know that one day, I want you to be my wife. Whenever we both are ready."

Jane just nodded. Little did Maura know that Jane was practically ready already. And little did Jane know that Maura was too. As they drifted off to sleep together, they found it increasingly comforting to know that they would wake up next to each other in the morning.

They weren't certain what the next chapter in their life would bring, but they did know that regardless of what new adventures awaited them, they would face it together.

That was certain…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading!**


	7. The Day After

**Chapter 7 – The Day After**

Jane opened her eyes slowly, and looked around the room. She laid there for a minute because something felt wrong. Well not really wrong, but a little off. She reached out in the darkness and felt for Maura in the bed. She wasn't there. She became aware of the aromatic scents of bacon and coffee rising from the kitchen below. She smiled and sat up in bed.

She thought back on the previous night and how absolutely amazing it was. Her and Maura's first time was unbelievably intimate and fun. She had been right about Maura's lovemaking technique. It was precise, thorough, and gentle. Maura was so thoughtful in everything she did. She of course was the dominate one, but she didn't go crazy, well maybe she went a little crazy when she bit the hell out of Jane's neck while she was coming, but other than that she was cognizant of Jane's desires, even giving her an opportunity to lead a couple of times.

After the first time they made love, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Sometime during the night, Maura woke Jane up and they made love again. It was completely dark, and thankfully Jane had taken mental pictures of Maura's body earlier that evening, which helped her to navigate in the dark. With her sense of sight taken away, Jane's other four senses were heightened and enhanced. While they were making love for the second time, something really strange happened to Jane that she hadn't spoken to Maura about yet.

It was literally pitch black in the room. Maura's room darkening curtains made sure that any light from the outside wouldn't come inside. Anyways, Jane was lying in the bed and Maura was straddling her. She couldn't see a thing, but suddenly she saw Maura, like her face her body, everything. There was a soft glow around her. And she was able to anticipate her movements because she could see her in the darkness. It was crazy.

Jane yawned and ran her fingers through her hair. She ached all over, especially on her neck where Maura placed that monster mark on it. She stretched and stretched the kinks out of her body, slowly rolling out of bed. She placed her feet down on the floor and stood. She tossed a robe on as she inhaled the scents from the kitchen and went downstairs to join Maura for breakfast.

As she neared the kitchen she heard both her mother and Maura's voices coming from within. It was too late to turn around because she had walked down the hallway talking. She tightened her robe as she entered the kitchen, playing it cool.

"Hey Ma." Jane greeted her mother as she entered into the room.

Angela looked up and smiled. "Hey Janie sweetie." Angela got up to hug her but Jane motioned for her to stay seated.

"I haven't showered in a couple days," she exaggerated.

"Yikes!" Angela chuckled. "Oh okay, I'll stay over here."

Maura chuckled at their candid interchange. She knew the real reason why Jane rejected Angela's hug. No doubt she had Maura's heavenly scent all over her still. Maura had already showered and dressed for work. Her eyes met with Jane's and they both knew what the other was thinking.

Jane smiled at her. "Hey Maur."

"Good morning, Jane."

Jane sat by her mother and listened to her fuss about this woman who cut her off on the freeway earlier. Her eyes drifted over to Maura who was standing by the espresso machine. She had just poured herself a cup and lifted it to her lips to sip it. Her lips curled up into a smile and her eyes raised just enough to meet Jane's. The very moment their eyes met, Jane's skin prickled with goosebumps.

Jane smiled at her and nodded. They had a wonderful understanding. Jane didn't have to say much, the look was enough to confirm to Maura that she woke up very content and that last night was one hell of a night.

Maura blushed and went to fixing the plates with breakfast. She served Angela first, and then Jane, and finally herself.

"You left out someone," Jane teased tipping her head towards Bass.

"Jane, I cannot give Bass this breakfast, it would upset his intestinal tract, causing diarrhea and dehydration."

Jane shrugged, "Hmm, it never bothered him before when I gave him bacon and eggs."

Maura's eyes widened, "What? You gave Bass eggs and bacon?"

Jane burst into laughter, "I'm kidding, Maur. Just joking." She chuckled as she stuffed a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

"Oh…" Maura simmered down quickly and laughed along, "Don't kid me like that, Jane. I almost panicked." She smiled and it instantly melted Jane's heart.

"Sorry, babe." Jane said softly. The instant change in the tone of her voice didn't go unnoticed.

A period of awkward silence followed and Jane wondered why her mother wasn't talking much. Actually she knew why. She wasn't talking because she was observing them. Her mother wasn't an idiot. She was sure that Angela had picked up on it, and would ask her about it later. So she just opted to just carry on and hope that she would leave them alone, so Jane could steal a kiss.

After a few minutes, Angela had finished her breakfast and announced she was leaving.

"What ya got going on today, Ma?" Jane asked, genuinely interested in her mother's day.

Angela smiled, "Well, Hope and I are double dating with a couple of nice gentleman this evening, so we are going shopping for dresses."

Jane smiled and looked over at Maura. Jane was certainly happy to see her mother moving on and happier.

"That's great Ma."

With a quick goodbye, Angela raced out of the door. Jane and Maura chuckled at how fast she left. "She was in a hurry, huh?" Jane said as she smiled at Maura.

Maura nodded and sighed.

Jane got up out of her seat and walked over to her, embracing her gently. She placed a soft kiss on Maura's neck and inhaled her sweet scent. "Last night was wonderful." She whispered to her.

Maura leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Jane's, gently caressing the back of her neck with her slender fingers. Their lips were inches apart. Maura gently grazed her lips across Jane's, tempting Jane to capture them for a kiss, but Jane resisted the temptation, instead enjoying the joy that she felt having Maura in her arms and the closeness that they felt at the moment. There was no reason to rush.

Maura's breath danced across Jane's lips, tickling them with a sweet message that came straight from her heart. Jane's eyes closed momentarily, as she was temporarily rushed with a new feeling that felt somewhat intrusive. No not intrusive, but… overpowering. It felt like something was taking over her body, or someone. And then understanding crossed her mind as she opened her eyes to see that Maura's were locked on hers.

Maura smiled… and Jane smiled.

"Do you feel that?" Jane whispered.

Maura nodded. "I do." Maura's voice quivered as her body began to tremble in Jane's arms. A moment later, Maura's trembling lips pressed firmly against Jane's. She wasn't even trying to kiss her just yet. She was just teasing her a little, but the magnetism of their love drew them together.

The warmth of their love transferred between them, as both felt something newer than they had felt before. They couldn't even explain it.

It felt like - _Power._

"Mmm," Jane moaned softly through the kiss as Maura held on to her tightly.

Maura's body continued to tremble. Jane loved every minute of it, knowing that someone could really react to her kiss this way. And not just anyone either… It was Maura reacting to her like this. She'd died and gone to heaven!

Jane pulled away from their kiss, their lips separating with a semi-wet smacking sound. Maura's eyes were fixed on Jane's lips as she trembled against her.

"I saw you last night." Maura whispered lightly, swallowing hard to catch the breath that Jane's kiss had stolen.

Jane didn't have to ask what she was referring to, she already knew. "I saw you too."

Maura chuckled and sighed against Jane's lips. "When we were making love, it was amazing. I felt like I was wrapped up inside of you."

Jane kissed her softly and sighed, "I think you're on drugs."

Maura laughed and placed her face against Jane's lips, "Yeah right. You know you felt the same."

Jane nodded, "Yes, I did. I can't explain what it was, but it was definitely weird. I didn't feel it until the second time."

"Neither did I." Maura smiled and Jane couldn't help but kiss her again.

"Let's play hooky today?" Jane pulled Maura against her and sighed contentedly. "I have like a million vacation days."

"That's very tempting, but I'm already dressed for work."

"So? Get undressed." Jane joked as she started pulling at Maura's clothing, of course starting with her blouse.

"Stop it!" Maura chuckled as she pulled away from Jane and ran to the other side of the island. She grabbed a plastic spatula and held it out in front of her, "I'm not afraid to use this!" Her pseudo-angry face was so damn cute.

Jane craned her eyebrow and stalked towards her, "Oh, yeah… What are you going to do, Doc? Spank me with it?"

Maura bounced her eyebrows flirtatiously and placed her "weapon" down. "Come here," she cooed as she outstretched her hands.

Jane obeyed and went to her. Maura placed a soft and sensuous kiss on her lips. "We can't play hooky today, Love."

Jane groaned and nodded, "I know." She hugged her tightly and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, "A lot has happened over the past few weeks, you know…" She said as she sat down on the bar stool and sighed.

Maura moved closer to her and embraced her, pulling her head into the comfort of her breasts. "Yes, I know."

Jane sighed heavily, she'd never felt so comfortable in her life. As a child maybe when her mother occasionally held her this way, but this was different. Another woman had come along and claimed the title as the queen of Jane's heart.

"I think I need some quiet time."

Maura nodded. "I understand. Why don't you take a few days? You can go to my mother's vacation home in Maine. I'm sure the guys can survive without you for a few days." Maura caressed Jane's face as she searched her eyes for agreement.

Slowly Jane nodded, "Sure they can survive without me for a few days, but can they survive without their Chief Medical Examiner too?" A slight smile crossed her face.

Maura smiled and kissed Jane on the forehead, "You want me to go with you?"

"Of course." She said pulling Maura closer, "It wouldn't be much of a vacation if I'm alone and without my sleep aid."

Maura frowned, "Sleep aid?"

"Yeah… You."

"Aww, Jane."

"I haven't had a nightmare in two days, and I know it's because you were here with me in bed. Not to mention the mind-blowing sex you gave me." She winked and chuckled.

Maura sighed contentedly, "I would love to go, Jane." Another light kiss. "When would you like to leave?"

"Right now."

"Well besides right now, when is the next available slot?"

"Tomorrow?"

Maura mused over the idea. She didn't like spur of the moment adventures but if she was going with Jane it couldn't be all that bad. Slowly she nodded her head. "Tomorrow sounds great. It gives me enough time to prepare my techs for my absence."

Jane leaned in and kissed her lightly on the neck as she is talking through planning her last minute getaway. Apparently Jane had hit the right spot because it rendered Maura speechless, so she took a mental note of the location and kept it moving. Maura allowed Jane to kiss her neck for a few minutes.

"You're going to need to stop or I'll need another shower."

"What's wrong with that?" Jane asked as she slid her hands up Maura's thighs, resting them casually on her waistline. "I haven't had mine yet. We could shower together." She continued to suck on her neck softly.

"Mmm, tempting." Maura said as she pulled Jane closer. "Be careful or you'll mark me."

Jane chuckled and pulled away from her. She pulled at her robe collar and frowned, "Oh you mean like this one you gave me?"

Maura's mouth dropped wide opened, "Oh my god! I did that?"

Jane nodded, "Yep. You're an animal in bed, babe."

A smile crossed Maura's face, "Wow."

Jane just smiled at her. Maura seemed proud, so Jane let her have her moment of pride. She took Maura's hands and entwined her fingers with Maura's and pulled her into an embrace. A moment of silent reflection followed. Their minds and hearts had become synced so they knew and felt almost everything that the other was feeling.

Maura sighed softly. "I still want you to be my wife," she said softly placing a kiss on Jane's temple.

Jane's heart seized in her chest as she held her tighter, "Oh my god." She whispered.

Maura held her as Jane's emotions got the better of her. Jane could not believe that Maura wanted to be with her forever! The outlook on her future did not look so bleak after all.

"But just remember one thing." Maura said softly as she stroked Jane's hair, "I wake up extremely aroused. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe you should reconsider." Maura tried not to laugh.

"That's fucking awesome, babe."

They laughed together until Maura finally pulled away and swatted Jane on the bottom, "You need to get ready for work and get out of here," she said grabbing her purse and walking towards the door. "Don't forget to lock up." She blew her a kiss, "I love you." She said as she exited quickly.

Jane waved, "I love you too." She called out after her. Jane chuckled. Maura hated being late for anything. Jane was just delighted to know that she and Maura were going away tomorrow. It was just going to be her and Maura and the solitude of the woods. Jane sighed and smiled. She had never been this happy in all her life. She liked the feeling and she wanted it to continue. After a moment of quiet reflection, she went upstairs and showered and was out the door an hour later…

* * *

 **Later that day…**

Jane sat in the café with Hope and Angela. Jane hadn't seen Maura all day! When she got to work, she was called into the field to follow up on a few leads. She was mad as hell because she couldn't see Maura. But this added to her anticipation of seeing her. Maura had texted her several times during the day with selfies and cute messages. She got caught several times giggling at her phone. She had to tighten up! The guys couldn't see Jane Rizzoli acting like a girl!

Jane's phone buzzed with another message. She was determined to keep a straight face this time. Sitting in front of their mothers… Man, she would give herself away.

She opened the text from Maura:

 _Maura: 16 hours and counting._

Jane looked up at her mother who was paying her no attention. She smiled at her phone:

 _Jane: until what?_

 _Maura: Until I take a vacation with my future wife._

Jane found herself chuckling and twirling her hair with her finger. _Shit!_ Jane could feel Angela's eyes on her. She looked up slowly and smiled at her. "What's wrong?"

Angela just smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, baby, nothing at all."

Jane composed a quick text:

 _Jane: You're going to get me in trouble._

 _Maura: Trouble? How so?_

 _Jane: Never mind… I love you._

 _Maura: I love you too._

Jane heard both Angela and Hope gasp and squeal. She looked up to see what all the hubbub was about. In front of her, stood a deliveryman holding a huge bouquet of flowers; stunningly beautiful red roses. Jane's eyes bugged out.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli?" The delivery man asked the table.

Angela and Hope pointed straight to Jane. Jane's face had to be beet red as a smile creased her face.

"Uh, that's me."

The man handed her the vase, tipped his hat, and left the café. Angela immediately grabbed the card and read it.

"Oh my, who are these from, Jane?" She said as she fumbled with the card. "Have you been keeping secrets?"

Jane shrugged and smelled the roses. They almost smelled as sweet as Maura, but not quite. She closed her eyes and smiled. She felt like the most loved person on the planet.

"Ohh la la." Angela said, causing Jane's brain to come out of the fog. She handed Jane the card.

Jane's eyes teared up as she read the words on the card:

 _You took a piece of my heart with you last night,  
and that is okay. I don't want it back because  
it belongs to you now.  
From now on, wherever you go, I will follow.  
Wherever you lay down, I will be right there beside you,  
And whatever you hope for, I will hope for the same.  
I'll never leave you,  
I'll never hurt you.  
You are my heart,  
You are my love,  
You are my happiness._

 _Love, Me…_

Jane couldn't breathe, her heart was so overwhelmed. She swallowed hard, clearing her heart from her throat. She felt like there was cotton in her ears as the whole room buzzed with indistinct conversation. But through all the buzzing and muffled sounds, she heard something familiar. She thought she was imagining the sound of Maura's voice, softly calling her. She had to have been imagining it because she didn't hear it in her ears; she heard it in her head and in her heart.

Instinctively, she turned to look for her and as she turned, she caught sight of Maura standing by the doorway of the café, smiling at her. When their eyes met, Jane didn't need to ask what was on Maura's mind as she stood there observing her reaction to the roses. She was pleased that her gift had affected her in such a way. Slowly Maura nodded, smiled and walked away…

To Jane, that was _the_ most romantic thing she'd had ever experienced! She looked back at the roses, smelled them one more time and glanced up at her mother. Jane blinked the tears out of her eyes. Angela just nodded and smiled, her own eyes filling with happy tears.

"It's so nice to see you smiling again, Janie. You look so happy." Angela said softly.

Jane nodded and smiled. "Thanks Ma… I am," she said softly. "I'm very happy."

Nothing else was needed to be said at that moment. The women sat there admiring the flowers until it was time for them to meet their dates. They left Jane sitting there alone, but not lonely. Jane had something to look forward to now. Jane sighed deeply with content.

She was looking forward to so many things; one of which was spending time alone with the woman whom she'd fallen deeply in love with…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this update. I'm in a warm and fuzzy kind of mood right now. The girls get some real alone time soon. Yay!**


	8. The Maine Point

**Chapter 8 – The Maine Point**

Jane had just put the final article of clothing inside of her luggage bag when she felt a pair of soft hands wrap around her waist and pull her in for a tight hug. Maura pressed her lips firmly against Jane's shoulder, following up the kiss with a gentle nibble. She chuckled lightly and sighed.

"I'm sorry I'm late getting home." She whispered into Jane's ear.

Jane smiled and turned to face her. "That's okay. It gave me some extra time to unpack unnecessary things."

"Oh? Like what?" Maura smiled at her.

Jane shrugged, "Well you know. Things like… Clothes." She said winking at her and pulling her closer into her arms. "Did you see the roses downstairs?"

"Yes, they're beautiful."

"They certainly are. This wonderfully amazing, kind, and sweet woman bought them for me."

"Oh really?" Maura said as she placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I think I may be jealous."

"You should be, because tonight…" she paused and kissed Maura lightly on the neck, "Tonight, I'm going to thank her by making mad passionate love to her."

"Oh Jane." Maura hugged her tightly and sighed contently in her arms. They took a moment to hold each other, this becoming their favorite thing to do outside of making love. There was something very special about simply holding each other in their arms.

"I can't believe this is happening to us," Jane said. "So much has changed in a short period of time."

"It certainly has, Jane." Maura said pulling away from and walking over to her closet. She walked in and retrieved her two carryon bags and a couple other smaller bags.

"Geez, Maur! We are only going for a few days." Jane laughed.

"I know, but I wanted to be sure to think of everything that I may have needed. There's nothing worse than getting to your destination and not having the necessities that you need in order to make the trip a success."

Jane just nodded and smiled. "Okay." She said as she grabbed the bags and carried them downstairs to the front door. "Maur, Is this all going to fit in the Prius?"

"More than likely not so I rented another vehicle."

"What did you get?"

"A Chevy Tahoe."

Jane's eyes widened and a smile of approval crossed her face. "You know I'm driving right?"

"Of course." Maura winked at her. "There's way too much space in that vehicle for someone of my stature."

Jane chuckled and began carrying the bags outside. As she was stuffing the last few items into the car, Hope and Angela walked up.

"Hey Mas." Jane greeted them both without really thinking about what she was saying.

Hope gave Jane a hug and went off into the house to see Maura and Angela stayed behind. She smiled at Jane and sighed.

"So where are you girls off to?" Angela asked.

"Constance's vacation house in Maine." Jane answered.

"Oh that's so nice," Angela said as she moved over beside Jane to view her face. "That should be a nice break. How long are you staying?"

Jane shrugged. "I put in for two weeks."

"Very good." Angela instantly went silent. And when she did this Jane knew that she was either contemplating a question or she was waiting on a confession. Either way, Jane knew she could not get out of this conversation that was destined to happen.

Jane placed Maura's last bag in the trunk of the vehicle and sighed. She turned to look at her mother, who was gazing warmly at her. Yes, she was waiting for a confession. Jane motioned for Angela to sit with her on the bumper of the vehicle. Angela sat and remained silent.

Jane sighed heavily, she already feeling the tears forming in her chest. She was afraid of how Angela was going to take the news.

"I need to tell you something."

Angela nodded, "Okay?"

Jane looked at her mother and struggled just forming the words on her lips. She began to tremble, just like she always did as a child when she had to tell her mother something that was weighing on her mind and heart. Angela reached out and touched her lightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just afraid of how you're going to take this." Jane's eyes pooled. "I don't want to hurt you, Ma."

"Okay, baby just take your time."

Jane sat for a moment, collecting herself and then she took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Maura."

Angela swallowed hard, but her expression didn't changed, so Jane gave her more to digest.

"I've felt it for a very long time now, but it wasn't until recently that I began to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love her and want to be with her."

"Want to be with her?"

Jane nodded, "Yeah, as in I want a relationship with her."

"Okay."

"She makes me so happy, Ma. I cannot even explain how much."

"I know she does."

"And I know you may be disappointed but sometimes, you can't help who you fall in love with."

Angela just nodded.

Jane ran her fingers through her hair. "Ma, I really think she is the one for me."

Angela sighed heavy and nodded. "How do you know for sure, sweetie? How do you know that this is not just a phase or maybe you're attaching to her in your time of need?" Angela's words were very clear and warm. She wanted Jane to know that she wasn't attacking her feelings. Those were valid questions.

The only way Jane could explain in a way that her mother would understand is by telling her something personal. "I know she is because…" Her face immediately blushed red, and Angela probably knew what was coming because she inhaled deeply, possibly bracing herself. "We made love."

"Oh," Angela said softly. "Wow."

"And something happened that was amazing."

"What?"

"We saw each other in the dark."

Angela frowned, obviously she didn't understand.

Jane chuckled a bit at the expression on her mother's face. "Let me explain."

"Tactfully please."

"Yes," she laughed. "We were asleep and we woke up and started talking to each other. One thing led to another, and we became intimate."

"Okay?"

"And I couldn't see a thing. It was pitch black, and then suddenly, I saw her. Like I saw this glow around her and I saw her face. I saw everything."

Angela nodded.

"And Ma, I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it happened."

"Okay."

"And I was able to anticipate her moves beforehand because I actually saw her. And she told me later that she saw me too."

"And the lights were off the entire time?"

"Yeah! You know Maur's room. And it's completely dark at night."

"Okay…" Angela simply said.

"I know you probably think I'm nuts."

"So how does that experience prove that she is the one?"

"There were so many reasons leading up to it. I feel her energy and she feel's mine. I hear her voice in my heart and in my head." Jane shook her head lightly, "I sound crazy."

Angela giggled and touched Jane lightly on the arm, "Crazy in love, yes." They both shared a chuckle or two. "The glow around her, what color was it?"

"Huh?"

"Was it a certain color or was it just light?"

Jane closed her eyes thinking back to that amazing night. "It was a light bluish, turquoise color."

Angela nodded. "I'm not surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"That color represents comfort, tranquility and healing."

"That's what she is to me."

"I know," Angela said as she patted Jane's leg. "I'm happy that you're happy, baby, but I'm still worried about you."

Jane frowned. "Why are you worried? I'm fine now. Everything is great."

"Yes, it may be great to a certain extent, but you haven't given yourself time to grieve your loss, and the longer you put off the grieving process, the harder it will hit you. And I'm sorry to tell you this baby, but this is going to hit you really hard."

Jane just stared at her. She couldn't believe she went from talking about Maura to talking about the baby without notice.

"How does that have anything to do with Maura and I?"

"It has everything to do with it."

"What? How?"

"Janie, listen to me…" Angela got off of the bumper and faced her. "Maura is grieving too, baby."

"I know."

"She was just as excited for the baby as you were. In her mind it was hers too."

Jane nodded. She knew all this already.

"You both need to grieve the loss of the baby together, instead of separately like you've been doing. Because the emotions that you both are experiencing and hiding from each other, will cause a wedge and eventually drive you apart."

Jane couldn't bear the thought. "How do we grieve together?"

Angela shrugged, "That depends of you and Maura. Sometimes, nature will force you to grieve whether you like it or not."

Jane frowned, not quite understanding what she meant.

Angela sighed and cupped Jane's face. "When I lost my baby, I was in denial for a very long time. To me, I had convinced myself that it never happened. One day I was volunteering at the fair that came to town, and under one of the tents was a dog who had wondered in in search for food. She was laying there tired, and she had three little pups nursing on her."

Angela's story was making Jane feel funny. She knew what point she was making…

"And when I saw those beautiful puppies nursing on their mother, my heart literally broke inside. I realized that I would never have the privilege of nursing my baby in my arms and giving it nourishment through my breasts. I felt like a failure and I literally lost it…" Angela sighed and swiped a tear that had escaped. "I tried to run from my grief, but it caught up with me."

Angela really didn't need to say any more. Jane got the point.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you smiling again, baby, and to know that Maura is the one who is making you smile… That warms my heart."

Tears streaked down Jane's face and her heart was breaking inside. She knew that she was running from her grief, but she never imagined that being in denial could mess up her relationships. She was so grateful for Angela who was straight with her.

"And I too believe from what you told me that Maura is your soulmate."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. But soulmate or not, you both need to face this demon together and beat it."

Jane lowered her head. "I know, I'm just really scared of dredging up that pain again."

"I know, but you need to do it." She patted her lightly on the leg, "together."

Jane nodded in agreement and lowered her head. The front door of the house opened and Maura came out of the house walking straight towards Jane. Jane hopped up and dried her face quickly. She didn't want Maura to see that she was upset, but it was too late; she already did.

She sat back down on the bumper and pretended like everything was cool. Maura came to Jane's side and examined her closely. She placed her hand on Jane's shoulder and squeezed it softly.

"Are you okay?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Ma and I were just talking."

Maura peered deep into Jane's eyes and found that she was concealing the fact that she was upset. Maura slowly nodded and let it go for the moment. She turned to Angela and smiled. "Hi there."

"Hi sweetie," Angela said.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you two." Maura said as she started to walk away.

"No. Nonsense," Angela said as she turned off to the guest house. "I was finished talking. You girls have a wonderful trip and text me to let me know that you reached okay."

"We will," Jane said.

After Angela disappeared out of sight, Maura came to face Jane. "What's wrong?" She whispered as she placed a soft kiss on Jane's lips.

Maura's kisses were so comforting, they healed her broken heart and bound up her wounds. Jane pulled away with lips trembling on the edge with emotion. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"I don't know." Maura whispered against Jane's lips, a moment later they kissed again, this time it was softer and gentler.

Jane sighed heavily. The thought that she was attaching to Maura simply because she was in a time of need hurt her. That would be so unfair to Maura and to herself. She was almost absolutely sure that they were attaching to one another because it was the right time, not because they were in need of someone. And she definitely knew it wasn't a phase that she was going through. What she felt was so strong and real, she couldn't deny what she felt for Maura.

They heard a pair of heeled footsteps walking up behind them and they pulled away from the kiss just as Hope walked slowly by in route to Angela's guest house. They had pulled away from the kiss, but they were still romantically embraced. Actually Jane's hands were underneath Maura's shirt, resting on her back. As Hope walked by, she just smiled, nodded her head, and kept walking. As she knocked lightly at Angela's door, she turned back to look at them. Angela opened the door and told her to come in. As Angela peered out, she waved goodbye to them and shut the door behind them.

"Oops," Maura chuckled. "Do you think she'll tell Angela?"

Jane shrugged. "Maybe. I don't care. I'm not ashamed."

"Neither am I."

"I'm so ready to go, babe."

"Me too."

Jane just gazed into her eyes. "I love you. You know that right?"

"Yes, I do."

"And I need you. But I don't need you because I'm needy. I need you because I want to need you."

Maura frowned a bit and then nodded, "I know."

"I hope so."

Maura cupped Jane's face once more and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Come on, let's go to bed. We have a five and a half hour drive ahead of us in the morning."

* * *

Maura felt a pair of lips gliding softly across her shoulders. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled. Jane placed soft kisses down her back, stopping right at the base.

"Mmm," Maura cooed as she attempted to move over, but Jane slipped behind her and embraced her.

"Hey baby," Jane whispered as she placed a soft kiss on Maura's neck, "You're not the only one who wakes up horny," she chuckled as she placed a soft bite on Maura's shoulder as she pulled her against her.

Maura reached up and cupped the back of Jane's head, pulling her in tighter, "I thought you'd forgotten…Mmm, yes."

Jane ran her hands long Maura's thigh as she couldn't fight the urge to claim Maura as her own. She did belong to her. Maura was her one and only and there was no one else that could possibly make her feel the way that Maura did.

"I love it when you do that." Maura sighed.

Jane whimpered and pulled her closer, turning Maura over onto her back. Jane slipped between Maura's legs and pressed herself against her. Their naked bodies sensually caressing each other as Jane kissed her. Jane wondered how long Maura would allow her to be on top. Hopefully it would be longer than before, so she could make love to her. She really wanted to lead tonight.

Maura moaned slightly as Jane dove into her neck, kissing and sucking it. Maura's hands came up and clenched Jane's back, her nails digging slightly into her. It felt heavenly to Jane, feeling Maura's legs wrap around her as her nails dug into her skin.

"I love you," Jane whispered to her. She took Maura's lips and kissed her passionately, touching her tongue with hers.

"Mmm," Maura moaned softly. She turned her head and directed Jane's kisses to her sweet spot.

Jane spread Maura's legs and reached down, softly caressing her folds, dipping her finger inside. Maura's back arched towards her and she softly cried out Jane's name.

"You make me feel so loved, do you know that?" Jane asked her.

Maura's body quivered underneath Jane's as she struggled to remain in submission to Jane. This was a great feat because by now, Maura would already be down, sucking on Jane's clit.

"I hope so," She said breathlessly.

Jane began kissing her way down Maura's body, placing soft kisses on her. Maura grabbed her head and forced her to stay on her breast.

"Suck it more," Maura said as she held Jane's head at her left nipple.

Jane obeyed, and sucked it into her mouth, twirling Maura's beautiful pink nipple around her tongue, fluttering it against her tongue, sucking it deep into her mouth. Jane felt the goosebumps rise on Maura's skin as she continued her oral technique.

A few moments later she felt Maura tug her head downward. Yeah, she was ready. It didn't take long either. Jane already knew that Maura was almost there, because she kept rubbing her hips against Jane's belly. Maura's fingers clenched Jane's hair as she pulled her further down.

Jane wasted no time getting there. In a few long seconds, Jane was there, licking Maura, slowly tending to her folds and her hard clit. Maura's verbal excitement rose as Jane's licks deepened and intensified.

"Yes… Jane…Mmm." Maura pulled Jane's head against her and her hips began circling, causing her body to wet Jane's lips.

"That's it…" Jane whispered as she moved with her to catch her frenzied rhythm. After not too long, Jane found her rhythm and they moved together. Maura's thrusts were powerful and deep. Jane knew that if Maura had had a dick, she would make sure that Jane swallowed it all and then some.

"Mmm, suck it Jane. Ah, yes…" Maura moaned as she made sure her clit was wrapped securely between Jane's lips and her tongue. "That feels so… Oh my god… Yes…"

Jane pursed her lips and sucked it in with slow even strokes of the tongue. Jane had to take a moment when she realized that she hadn't taken a breath in a while. Although this would have totally been a great way to die.

"What are you doing, don't stop!" Maura whimpered as she grabbed Jane's head and united her body with Jane's mouth. "I want to come all over your lips. Make me come." Maura was breathless as she turned Jane on even more. "Make your woman come."

Jane couldn't take Maura's dirty talk but she was on a roll. She tried to tune her out, but she loved hearing her talk like that. It was so out of the norm.

Jane's tongue snaked down and slid inside of Maura. She tasted the cream of her impending orgasm as Maura's thrusts deposited it onto her tongue. Jane grazed her tongue upward and licked her entire pussy, glazing it with the warmth of her tongue.

"Oh, Jane…" Her entire body trembled. "Jane…Jane… oh," She pulled her tighter against her and started riding Jane's face as she latched on to her pulsating clit. "I'm coming…" she warned her as Jane lessened her paced and intensified her suction.

She sucked her deep into her mouth, Maura's orgasmic cries and shouts pierced Jane's ears and echoed throughout the entire room. Jane felt the warm evidence of Maura's orgasm drip down her chin. Maura collapsed underneath Jane and whimpered softly as she tried to recuperate.

Jane kissed her and Maura did the honors on licking herself off of Jane's lips and chin. She smiled at Jane and chuckled. "Wow."

Jane smiled back and kissed her lightly. That was the first time Jane led from start to finish and from the looks of it, she did a great job. The mood was great at the moment, but Jane couldn't help but to think about what her mother had said.

She didn't want anything to come between her and Maura's budding relationship, not even herself. Jane sighed heavily and stroked Maura's hair. "Yes."

Maura frowned a bit. "Yes what?"

"My answer is yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Maura's serious expression turned into a smile. "Really?"

Jane nodded. "Yes. I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

Maura embraced her and pulled her into her arms. "Thank you so much, Jane."

"No… Thank you for loving me." She gazed into her eyes. Thinking about Maura and how deep down she was grieving, hurt her to even think about it. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook the thought out of her head.

She knew her mother was right. They would eventually need to face that demon together. It's tormented them long enough. She would do it soon, but as for now, she was going to sleep tonight in her lover's arms. There is where she wanted to be. Tucked safely into Maura's arms, where the truest sense of security resided. Here, nothing could harm her, nor could it haunt her.

As Jane pulled Maura into the spoon position, she kissed her lightly on the cheek. They both sighed contently as they looked forward to the next day as they set off on their first vacation together. Jane mentally toasted to their goals and their achievements. However different they may be, they would achieve them together. And that was the most important thing.

They were together…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading. Next update, they'll arrive at the cabin. Next few updates will have content warnings. The drama will intensify as they build up to facing their grief together. It's fiction, but the emotions will be real life emotions. I hope you stay tuned and feel free to review.**


	9. The Iceberg

**Chapter 9 – The Iceberg**

 _Content Warning: Emotional..._ _I manipulated the timeline of events somewhat to tell this chapter of the story. You'll understand when you read it._

By the time Jane and Maura had arrived in Maine, it was nearly 3 PM. Jane had to take several breaks because her back started aching her an hour into the drive. When they arrived at the house, Maura told Jane to go in and rest and she would get the bags out of the car. Usually Jane would protest, but her back was killing her something awful today.

"Are you okay?" Maura asked lightly as she came in with the last of the bags, placing them gently down by the door.

Jane was stretched out on the couch resting. "Yeah, I'm okay. My back just hurts."

"Oh, love… I should have driven some," Maura said as she came and sat down beside Jane, placing her long legs over her knees. "Do you want me to get you some medicine?"

"Yeah. What do you have?"

"Naproxen Sodium should knock the pain out."

Jane sighed. "That's great. I'll take that."

Maura got up and went into the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. She returned and handed it to Jane who was just rising into a sitting position. "It's chilly in here." Maura said as she looked around the room for the thermostat.

"Yep." Jane said as she swallowed the pill and stood. "Let's build a fire."

Maura smiled and stood to join her. "That sounds like an excellent idea, my love."

Jane offered Maura her arm and they walked outside to gather firewood. A few minutes later, they had built their first fire together. Each one of them taking notes of the many firsts that they would experience together.

As the blaze began to increase in size, Jane sat quietly and stared into the fire. Her eyes reflected the soft glow of the flames as the danced around in them. Maura sat opposite of her and watched her. She smiled as she admired this beautiful creature sitting next to her.

"What are you thinking of?" Maura said softly as she observed her.

Jane smiled and nodded. "Thinking about you… and us… lots of things."

Maura smiled and got up and sat in the chair that was next to the fireplace. The warm flames licked her feet as she held out her hand to Jane.

Jane reached and took her hand, allowing Maura to pull her into her lap. "This is quite awkward." Jane teased.

"What is?"

"Me sitting in your lap. I'm like six feet taller than you."

Maura chuckled. "Don't you think six feet is a slight exaggeration?"

Jane just shook her head and sighed. "Why do you have to be so beautiful?"

Maura shrugged. "Blame my parents."

Jane laughed out loud and settled into the chair, stretching her legs across Maura's lap as Maura pulled her closer.

"There. Comfy?" Maura asked.

"Absolutely." Jane sighed heavily and turned her head back to the fire.

Maura placed soft kisses on her shoulder and neck as Jane's mind got lost in the flames. Maura respected her time as she reflected on whatever her mind needed to reflect on at that moment. Maura was just happy to be here with her and to have Jane in her arms.

"Did you text your mother?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Great. Now we turn off our cell phones."

Jane reached down and unclipped her phone and handed it to Maura. "Here you go."

Maura retrieved it and switched it off. Next she switched off hers and they sat there quietly watching the flames. After a few minutes, Jane starts stirring in Maura's lap and finally she got up.

"Maur, I don't feel so hot, I'm going to go to the bathroom for a minute. Where is it?"

Maura pointed down the hallway and got up to follow her, but Jane stopped her approach. "No, I'm okay. It was probably something I ate." She said as she turned off and walked down the hallway and ducked into the bathroom.

Maura sat back down in the chair and waited for her to return. Jane stayed in the restroom for a half hour before returning. She came back and sat down slowly at Maura's feet and continued to watch the fire.

"Are you alright?"

Jane shrugged a bit and sighed.

Maura slid down beside her and put her arm around her. "Jane, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Jane put her head down on Maura's shoulder and nodded, "Yeah, my cycle just started back I think."

"Oh..."

"What a way to put a damper on our vacation, huh?" Jane chuckled emptily.

"Aww, Jane."

"Hopefully it won't be long, you know. I guess my body has finally come back around since…" The rest of the words just died on her lips as she gazed into the fire.

Silence fell over them. Maura wasn't too sure of what to say to her because Jane's solemn mood just came over her instantly. "Are you hungry?" Maura asked.

"Famished," she said softly, "Let's make something to eat." Jane said as she got up and took Maura's hand. "I would love a steak tonight."

Maura smiled. "Then steak it is! I picked some up on the way home last night. I had a feeling you were going to be in the mood for a hearty meal."

Jane smiled and pulled Maura close, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Thanks, Maur."

Maura smiled in response and placed another kiss on her.

"I was really looking forward to making love with you tonight." Jane whispered softly into Maura's ear. "I can still do you."

Maura chuckled and hugged Jane's neck. "We have plenty of time for that. I'm just happy to be here with you."

"Me too." Jane held her close and tightly. There was something about the way that Jane hugged her that made Maura realize that Jane was not okay at the moment.

Maura pulled away from her and cupped her face so she could see her eyes. Her eyes usually spoke volumes and easily betrayed her. Maura caressed her face as she gazed into Jane's eyes, trying to understand what it was that was on her mind at the moment.

Jane sighed and closed her eyes slowly, a single tear falling gracefully down the side. Maura leaned forward and pressed her lips lightly against Jane's and released a quivering sigh. Maura still to this day could not comprehend how she could feel Jane's emotions so strongly as if they were her own.

"I love you so much, Jane." Maura whispered against Jane's lips. She stroked Jane's hair as they stood there, foreheads pressed together.

Eventually Jane gave in to Maura's tugging her slightly into her embrace. She settled her head into the crook of Maura's neck and relaxed as Maura continued to stroke her hair. Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and held her tightly. She was comforted in knowing that Maura was not going anywhere.

"Don't ever leave me, Maur."

"I won't." She whispered. Maura kissed her lightly one last time before guiding her over to the chair. "How about you sit and rest for a minute. I'll start dinner."

"No, we'll do it together."

Maura nodded, "Okay, I'll start it though. You sit and rest and join me when you feel like it."

Jane smiled. Maura was so thoughtful. She had to face the fact that she'd just driven almost six hours. Slowly she nodded, "Okay. I'll be there in a few."

Maura smiled and leaned over and kissed her. Her kiss was firm and comforting as she caressed Jane's face with her soft hands. "I love you." She said as she pulled away.

"I love you too."

Maura winked at her and strolled off into the kitchen, leaving Jane sitting by the fireplace.

* * *

Maura was just pulling the steaks out of the broiler when Jane came into the kitchen. She was yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I fell asleep," Jane said as she came to Maura's side. "I'll start the potatoes for the mash."

"Great." Maura said as she took the steaks off of the grill pan and placed them onto the serving platter. "You needed your rest."

Jane yawned again and started peeling the potatoes. "I know right. I didn't think I was that tired."

"Are you feeling better?" Maura asked as she walked over to the sink and started cleaning up the dirty pans.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks." She said as she continued peeling in silence. She sighed heavily as her mind began to wonder again. "Hey Maur?"

"Yes, Love?" she called over her shoulder.

Jane was silent for a moment then, "I had a weird dream."

"Oh? About what?"

Jane sighed heavily. "It was about Barry."

"Oh… Really?"

"Yeah. And Casey and you too."

After a moment of awkward silence, Maura finally turned to her and smiled. "What was it about?"

Jane shrugged. "It wasn't really about anything. It was just weird," she said as she started dicing the potatoes. "I mean, there was no plot, no dialogue hardly. It was just a steady stream of images."

"Okay. What kind of images?"

Jane bit down on her lip softly and looked up at her. Maura knew from the look on Jane's face that maybe she shouldn't have asked her that question.

"It's not important. It was just weird." Jane recanted as she continued to dice the last potato. After all of them were done, she placed them on the eye of the stove and turned the heat up. She stirred it slowly, "Dreams mean nothing," she said turning back to Maura.

"Okay." Maura nodded. "If you don't want to talk about it, I completely understand."

Jane sat down at the table and shook her head. "I was holding the baby, and Casey was sitting there with me, looking at the baby and smiling."

Maura swallowed hard and nodded. She felt her blood turn unexpectedly icy.

"And then I remember looking over and seeing you and Barry sitting there, and you guys were smiling. Then Barry…" Jane paused and squeezed her eyes shut, "he smiled at me with his big beautiful smile, and then…" Jane swallowed hard because her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Maura sat quietly beside her.

"He says: 'I love you, Jane', and then he disappeared. Just like that. And I said, Barry wait, please come back! But he was already gone. So I look over at Casey and then he disappears the same way, but he disappeared without a word or a trace. He was just gone. Suddenly, my arms felt light and I looked down, and then the baby just vanished right out of my arms. I mean, into thin air."

Maura took her hand and held it.

"And then, I remember feeling a type of fear I'd never felt before in a dream. I felt afraid of being left alone, and then I looked up to where you were sitting, and you started fading as if you were about to disappear too."

Maura just nodded. Jane's dream revealed the depth of her fears.

"And then I remember crying out to you because I didn't want you to leave me too, like the others did…" Jane sighed heavily, "Last thing I remember was reaching out to you, and as I grabbed your hand, I didn't have it… It was just air… I was too afraid to face the fact that you had left too, but I heard Casey's voice calling me, telling me that he was back and there for me… But then I woke up."

When Jane finally looked up into Maura's eyes, she saw something that mirrored what she felt. Maura simply nodded as she fought to keep her emotions in check. "I can just imagine how that dream made you feel," Maura said softly.

"Yeah, really weird."

"I understand." She said rising from her seat and walking over to the stove to check the potatoes. 'There are a lot of unresolved issues still in your subconscious mind."

"No kidding." Jane ran her fingers through her hair. She gazed up at Maura who was still standing by the stove with her back turned. "Maura…"

The way Jane called her name made her shiver. Eventually she turned to face her. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Jane." She said. Her answer was short and so unlike her.

Jane was surprised, so she had to sit back for a moment, thinking maybe she was imagining it. But she wasn't. Maura's mood had chilled and Jane couldn't remember what she had said to maybe make her act funny. The only thing she could think of was that she mentioned Casey.

"Hey," Jane said getting up from the table and walking over to her. "Did I upset you by mentioning Casey?" Jane asked softly.

Maura shook her head negatively, "Why would you mentioning the baby's father have any bearing on me?" She turned and looked her in the eyes.

Jane frowned and sighed heavily. She shrugged, "I don't know, Maur. All I know is you're acting different now. And I don't know why."

"Differently?"

"Yes, come on, Maur. I know you. Don't insult my intelligence like that."

Maura sighed and stared at her for a moment. She turned the eye down on the stove and crossed her arms in front of her. "I'm not sure what you need for me to tell you, Jane. You know I'm not as emotionally in tuned with my feelings as you are."

"Yes, I know this, baby, but please." She took Maura by the arms and pulled her closer. "Talk to me. I know something is up."

Maura broke eye contact and shook her head slowly. "What do you need me to tell you, Jane?"

Jane searched her eyes for an explanation. It had to be about Casey. Maura never talked about Casey and had Jane been thinking clearly, she would have never brought it up. She just wanted to kick herself. Jane kissed her lightly on the lips.

"What are you feeling right now?"

Maura inhaled deeply and released it. "Hurt. Anguish. Pain. Betrayal."

Jane understood it all except for betrayal. "Wait, betrayal?"

"Yes, betrayal."

"Why do you feel betrayed?"

Maura squirmed out of Jane's grip and turned the stove off. She grabbed a colander and poured the potatoes into it. All the while, Jane is watching her perform this task instead of addressing the question. Jane was patient as Maura proceeded to make the creamy mashed potato dish and set it near the steaks.

"We need something green. How about broccoli?" She said as she bypassed Jane and opened the freezer. She was just standing there, staring at who knows what, totally avoiding Jane's question.

Jane walked over to the freezer and shut it. "Who betrayed you?"

Maura gazed down at the floor momentarily before she looked back up at Jane. She had a thin sliver of tears in her eyes as she smiled. "I wasn't really betrayed. It just felt like I had been."

"Who made you feel that way?"

Maura squeezed her eyes shut, her body instantly began to tremble. "You did, Jane."

The shock that went through Jane's body was clearly evident. "What? Me?"

Maura nodded and swiped the tear from her eye. "Yes."

"But how? When? Maur, what the hell are you talking about?" Jane was obviously upset over this revelation.

Maura sat down at the table and cleared her throat. "It was after Barry died." Her eyes fell onto her hands that were clasped tightly in front of her.

Jane just stood there, her mouth already agape for a quick reply but she hadn't anticipated this coming out of Maura's mouth. They hadn't talked about Barry's death at all. Jane had noticed that when she brought up the subject, Maura would change it or suddenly have to make a phone call so she didn't have to discuss it. But Jane never pressed the issue.

"I was hurting so badly, Jane."

"We were all hurting, Maur."

"True, but it was different with us. We went through our stages of grief differently and at different times, but when we both came to the shocking realization that he was really gone, we were together at that time."

"I know." She said nodded.

"We sat outside the loading dock door and you held me in your arms as we both cried. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah."

"I told you then that I needed you, Jane." Maura became choked up on her tears. "The next day we were going to bury our best friend, Jane! Our best friend… I needed you that night!" Her voice elevated with emotion.

Jane's eyes remained fixed on Maura's as the tears that Maura was trying to hold in kept coming out.

Maura rose from her seat and walked over to the sink. "I'm pretty self-sufficient, able to care for myself without interaction with other human beings, but every so often, just every so often, I find myself needing someone. And that person just so happened to have been you."

Jane's mind quickly connected Maura's feelings with what happened that night and why they didn't end up together. Her heart dropped.

"Oh fuck…" Jane said as her hand clasped across her mouth.

Maura nodded. "I waited for you. I thought you were coming. I had it all planned out. I wanted to look through some photos of our life with him, and celebrate his life with you. I wanted to hold you and be held by you and to fall asleep in your arms…" Her voice caught in her throat as a sudden sob escaped her mouth. "Oh my god, this hurts so much," she said as she clenched her chest.

"Maur, I'm so sorry. I… I should have been there, but…" There was nothing that Jane could say to make this any better. It was what it was.

Maura nodded, "But you needed Casey more than me."

Jane knew that was coming. It's been coming for a while now. She shook her head and sighed, "That's not fair, Maura."

"It's the truth."

"I've always needed you, Maur. But at that time, we didn't have what we have now. I didn't know that you loved me like that. Hell, I didn't even know that I loved you either!" Jane turned her back to her, and swore under her breath. She turned around to face her, "Look, baby, please I don't want to fight with you."

"I'm not fighting. You asked me what I was feeling."

Jane nodded. "Okay."

"I know we were not together like we are now then, but you already knew how I felt about you."

Jane's eyes widened, "What? I did not!"

"You certainly did. You were just in denial."

Jane shook her head, "Maura, are you serious? You're grasping at straws now."

Maura chuckled, "Am I, Jane?"

"Yes!" Jane started pacing the floor. This conversation was getting very uncomfortable.

"You knew when we pretended to be LLBFFs to get Giovanni to stop asking me out."

Jane laughed. "No I didn't."

"Do you remember when you held me close for the first time standing there by your mother's car?"

"Yes."

"I felt your breath on the back of my neck and I literally melted there in your arms. I felt you looking at me. You knew then."

Jane said nothing…

"And when I told Giovanni that we were a couple, I was actually expressing my truest and most deepest desires. You knew then, because I never broke out in hives, and you joked about that fact later… you knew, Jane," Maura's chest heaved up and down as she paused to catch her breath and calm herself down. "Didn't you?"

Jane inhaled deeply, "No, I didn't know for sure. It was a fleeting thought that maybe you cared more than I realized."

"And even if you had the slightest inkling of an idea about my feelings for you, you still chose him."

"I did not choose him!" Jane's voice rose quickly as she walked over to Maura. "He was just there!"

"So was I, Jane! I was there each and every time he left you. I was there when you would cry your eyes out because he broke another promise to you. I was the one who was there for you. And it should have been me!"

"Maur…" Jane reached out and touched her arm. Maura may have been upset, but she didn't pull away.

"I should have been the one there with you that night, comforting you, holding you, and making love to you…Not him!"

Jane lowered her head and nodded. She heard Maura choke on another sob as she willed herself to calm down.

"You made our baby that night…" she forced through her tears. "That should have been me, Jane." She cupped her face and turned away from Jane, "If I was physically capable and had the anatomy to do so, it could have been me. But instead I sat at home, grieving alone while you were having fun."

"Fun? It wasn't just fun. It was what I needed at the moment. I needed…" Jane sighed, trying to find the right words, "I needed to feel close to someone, because I couldn't deal with the loss of Barry."

"I understand completely." Maura said softly.

Jane just gazed at her for countless minutes. Neither one of them saying anything, just staring at each other.

"I'm sorry, I hurt you."

Maura nodded, "You didn't even know that you had."

"Are you still angry with me?"

Maura shook her head negatively, "No… But I hate Casey."

Her chilly words were devoid of emotion as Jane studied her carefully, not too sure what to say.

"And my hatred for the baby's father and the fact that he impregnated the woman I loved caused me to fail you when you needed me the most."

Jane frowned. "What?"

Maura exhaled, letting out a deep trembling sigh. "I was with Jack when you called for help."

Jane nodded, "I know you were."

"No, Jane… The first time you called, I picked it up and saw that it was you calling, but I ignored your call."

Jane's mouth opened to speak, but Maura kept talking.

"I was angry with you still, because you were not there for me when I needed you most… I was being selfish. Never did I imagine the call was that serious until the second ring. I just wish I would have picked up the first time."

Jane's mind traveled back to a couple of nights prior when they were on the couch. Maura had just uttered a homicidal confession. She had stated that she wished she could go back in time, and if she could she would have answered the phone the first time. And then it made sense.

Jane gasped and swallowed. "Oh Maur…"

"Had I answered it, then maybe I could have gotten there sooner." By now, she couldn't even look in Jane's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Jane. I feel so ashamed." She started sobbing then, "I was supposed to protect you and keep the baby safe, but I failed you."

Jane reached out and pulled Maura into her arms. "You didn't fail me." She whispered as she pressed her lips against Maura's forehead. "You're right. You should have been the one with me that night, and I'm so sorry for neglecting you and leaving you alone. It wasn't right."

Jane hugged her tighter in her arms, "My god, no wonder you never wanted to talk about it." Jane's trembling lips found Maura's temple and kissed it firmly.

Maura wrapped her arms around her, "Jane, I'm sorry for ever feeling that way."

"Shh, there's nothing to be sorry for." Jane lifted her head and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. "We've both made mistakes, but it is not our fault what happened."

"So much has been taken from us, in such a short period of time. It just hurts so much," Maura whispered against Jane's lips.

Jane nodded, "I know, baby." She kissed her tenderly, "But we still have each other, don't we?"

Maura nodded.

"You promised me that we would get through this together, right?" Jane said softly.

"Yes, I did."

"Then we will. We can't fix those mistakes, we can only strive not to repeat them."

Maura nodded, tears spilling out of her eyes. Jane smiled and cupped her face. Jane took a moment to kiss her again, so Maura could feel her love in its entirety coursing through her lips. Jane hadn't thought that this conversation was even going to happen, but it did so she accepted it. Tonight, Maura's darkest feelings came out of left field. Had she not had that dream and shared it with Maura, Jane probably wouldn't have known how Maura felt.

Jane always felt that Maura didn't speak about Barry's death much because she just mourned differently, but in reality, she never got a chance to resolve her feelings. And then of course when Jane got pregnant soon after Barry passed away, Maura never had a chance to express her feelings to anyone.

Then a lightbulb came on in Jane's head. She was certain that Maura did confide in someone regarding her feelings. She was almost certain that it was Angela. Thus, Angela's push for them to confront their grief together made more sense now. Maura and Jane's relationship was like an iceberg. There was more under the surface than met the eye.

Maura pulled away from Jane and gazed into her eyes. "Our food is probably cold now." Maura sighed. "I'm sorry, I messed up dinner."

Jane took her hand, "Come on." She said as she grabbed her phone and led her to the bedroom.

Maura didn't ask any questions as she allowed herself to be led by Jane into the small bedroom. Jane laid down on the bed and pulled Maura into her embrace, spooning her snuggly. She pulled out her phone and opened up her photo gallery, placing the phone into Maura's view.

As she lay there with Maura, snuggling with her, she cycled through the pictures of her, Maura and Barry. There were so many of them together.

"Look, the three musketeers," Jane said softly.

"Aww, look at him…" Maura chuckled lightly and sighed.

"Yeah," Jane felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. She sniffled as she thought back on that day. "That was my bud."

Maura inhaled heavily and let out a quivering sigh, "Oh Jane…"

"I know, baby." She said as she pulled her closer and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "He had such a great smile. I loved him so much."

"Me too."

Jane proceeded to thumb through the photos of them all together. Barry's smile and those beautiful eyes were haunting. Jane still expected to pick up the phone and hear his voice on the other line. Reality was settling in though. She knew he was gone. Never to return. His life taken prematurely, just like her child's.

By the time she reached the last photo, the one that was taken a day before he left for his vacation, they both were sobbing, mourning the loss of their best friend Barry. Jane finally closed her phone and put it on the nightstand. She then took Maura into her arms and held her. Nothing else mattered at that moment to her. Maura was her only concern. Staying here with Maura and allowing herself to grieve with her. Which is something that she had denied Maura in the past.

Jane pulled the covers up and secured them underneath as they both cried, letting their emotions run their course. Jane knew that there was a reason why they found themselves alone up here in the mountains of Maine. It was time for them to come to terms with their losses. Anxiety streaked through her body as she pulled Maura closer to her. Her time was coming. And she wasn't sure if she was ready.

She couldn't help but to remember what Angela had said last night in Maura's driveway. She said that Nature had a way of forcing people to come to terms with things. Jane found it extremely ironic that she would start her regular cycle now of all times. It felt like some cruel joke. Not because of the fact that the sex would be limited, but it was a cruel reminder that the life that was once inside of her is gone now, and she must move on.

Jane sighed heavily and relaxed. She felt it coming and she wasn't sure how she was going to fair through it, but one thing was sure. She had the one thing that always stabilized her, there with her in her arms. And she wasn't going anywhere. Whatever was coming, Jane and Maura would face it together.

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this update. I wanted to be sure that even if there was drama between them, their love always keeps them together. The end result when Maura comes to terms, then Jane, and then both will be beautiful. These girls are sticking to each other, no matter what.**


	10. I Will Follow You

**Chapter 10 – I Will Follow You**

Maura awakened to a disturbance in the bed. Her eyes opened slowly and adjusted to the darkness. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand and it read 1:32 am. The disturbance came again. A movement in the darkness; it was jarring. She turned over to face Jane. Jane was lying on her back with her arms tucked underneath the pillow. Her body jerked again as her head moved away from Maura's view. Maura felt heat emanating from Jane's body.

"No..." Jane's voice whimpered in the darkness.

Maura reached over to switch on the light. She turned back towards Jane and watched her for a minute. Jane was very disturbed in her dream state and Maura knew she had to wake her up, but she needed to do so carefully. She scooted over near to Jane, immediately feeling her soaring body temp. She touched her lightly on the bicep.

"Jane?" Maura whispered.

Jane snapped her head back towards Maura; her eyes were tightly clenched shut. Sweat was pouring down her face as her beautiful face was distorted in anguish. She whimpered and groaned, her eyes moving rapidly in REM mode.

"Please don't." Jane cried out, her voice was full of anguish. Her fingers clenched the pillow underneath her head; her entire body was soaked in her own sweat. "Maura…please come back."

Maura shook her gently, "Jane, I'm right here."

"Maura, no," Her body started trembling.

"Wake up, Jane," Maura gave her a brisk shake. Jane's body stopped trembling. Maura shook her again firmly. "Jane, sweetie," Her voice was calm and authoritative, "Wake up."

Jane's eyes slowly opened as she responded to Maura's command. Her pupils were very slow to contract, causing her eyes to appear onyx in color. She blinked a couple of times but seemed to stare off past Maura.

Maura leaned closer so she could focus her eyes on her. "Jane?" she whispered to her as she caressed her sweat soaked face. "You're having a nightmare, Love." She said softly as she placed a soft kiss on Jane's lips, which Jane did not respond to. Jane just stared at her, not uttering a word.

A few moments rolled by and then Jane finally blinked a couple of times as she began to wake up. "Ugh…" She groaned, "Not again."

Maura continued to caress her face reassuringly as Jane struggled to wake up. "Are you okay?"

Jane immediately shook her head and pulled Maura closer, placing a firm sudden kiss on her lips. It caught Maura off guard as she struggled to maintain the pace of Jane's fevered kiss.

"Jane," Maura pulled away, "Sweetie."

But before Maura could say anything else, Jane had latched onto her lips again, kissing her passionately and pulling Maura's body against hers. "I don't need to talk, I just need you." Her voice trembled as she took Maura's lips again.

Maura pulled away for air and looked into her eyes, "I'm not going anywhere, Jane." She stroked Jane's hair and kissed her lightly. Jane's body relaxed and she pulled Maura onto top of her, the unusual heat of Jane's body caused Maura's own body heat to rise.

"I need you right now." Jane said as she pulled Maura's head into the crook of her neck.

Maura wasted no time responding to Jane's requests. She kissed her neck, trailing soft kisses down Jane's neck and around her throat and over to the opposite side. Jane's fingers laced through Maura's hair, pulling her in closer. Maura's lips took Jane's equally as urgent as before, their two hearts quickly getting lost in the passion.

"I love you, Maur."

"I love you too." Maura said as she unsnapped the buttons on Jane's shirt and placed soft kisses down her chest.

Jane's hand guided Maura's head to where she wanted her to be at the moment. Maura obliged and kissed her nipples softly; gently tasting her soft skin that was now briny from Jane's battle in her sleep. Maura was gentle as she delicately cared for Jane's beautiful breasts. Her mind was only concentrated on being with Jane and making love to her.

Jane pulled her quickly back up to her lips and kissed her hard, her teeth nibbling on the edge of Maura's bottom lip. "Do you want to fuck me?" Jane asked; her breath was hot as it danced across Maura's lip. Maura pulled away and began her passion fueled descent on Jane.

"You know I do." Maura was nearly to the point of no return; her lips just passing Jane's belly button when she suddenly realized that she couldn't make love to Jane. Panic streaked through her body as she literally slammed the brakes before she went too far. Maura rose and stared at Jane. Her breaths were heavy as she watched the expression on Jane's face turn to confusion.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked.

Maura felt so angry on the inside, not at Jane, but at herself for forgetting. She felt her heart rise into her throat. "We can't."

"What? Why not? Why did you stop?"

Maura's eyes traveled down Jane's belly before meeting hers again. "I can't," Maura said softly, "It's not the right time."

Jane's expression was confused, but then slowly understanding crossed her face and sadness replaced confusion. "Oh man, I forgot." She said releasing Maura and sitting upright in the bed. She pulled her knees up to her chest and put her head down. "I'm so sorry, Maur. I just forgot."

Maura nodded. "I know. I did too."

Jane lifted her head and ran her figures through her hair as she looked at Maura. "I'm so embarrassed." She kinda smiled and shrugged, giving up eye contact with Maura as she looked everywhere but into her eyes.

"Oh Jane, don't be embarrassed. It's not really a big deal." Maura had meant that to be encouraging but it landed the wrong way on Jane's heart.

"Not a big deal?" Her face was distorted in misplaced hurt and anguish and her voice trembled with emotion. "It's a big deal to me, Maur."

Realizing that she had taken it wrong, Maura made quick steps to reassure her of the meaning of her words. "Jane, I didn't mean it like that."

Jane chuckled, "Yeah, that's okay either way. Everybody thinks that is not a big deal, but they aren't inside of me!"

Maura frowned. She was slightly confused. "Everybody who? Jane, what are you talking about?"

"You guys just kept on going; you didn't even care how I felt and how much it was killing me on the inside."

Maura began to slowly realize that Jane wasn't just talking about her cycle. "Jane…" Maura said reaching out to her. "I need help understanding."

"Yeah, well I need help living!"

Maura sighed. She had to force herself to calm down from the arousal because it was too quick of a change, and now Jane was obviously ready to flip out. She needed to compose herself. She got up out of the bed and slipped on her robe. She walked over the Jane's side of the bed and knelt down.

"I do care, Jane. I always have."

"Maybe you did to a certain extent, but you don't understand what it's like to be me and to suffer what I did."

Maura nodded, "You're right. I don't understand, but I do know you went through a lot."

"A lot?"

"Yes."

Jane chuckled and rolled out of the bed. She couldn't be still, she was in panic mode. She paced the floor back and forth as Maura sat waiting for her to speak. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Jane clenched them into fists, trying to calm herself down.

"I started my period, Maur." Jane choked up instantly with tears. "Do you know what that means?"

Maura nodded, but she didn't answer. She knew that Jane wanted to answer the question.

"It means that I no longer have my baby inside of me. It means that my body has decided to reset and move on. It means…" She cupped her mouth and stifled the whimper that came out of her mouth. "It means that I need to move on too. And I'm not ready."

Maura got up and reached out to her, but Jane rejected her advance, turning away from her instead. Maura still hugged her, pressing her face tightly into her back.

"Everyone can just move on because it's not them, Maur. Barry died, I had to move on. Then my baby died, and I'm forced to move on. Why do these things keep happening? Who's next? You?"

Maura felt Jane's body trembling with sobs. She squeezed her tighter and sighed heavily. "No, I'm not going anywhere."

Jane brought her hands up to her face and swore, "Damn it! I'm cracking up, Maur."

"Shh, I'm here," she said as she tightened her grip around Jane's waist.

Jane reached down and covered Maura's hands with her own. "Sometimes I feel like it's my fault the baby didn't survive."

"Why would you feel that?" Maura asked as she moved around to face Jane.

Jane bit her bottom lip and sighed, a thin stream of tears coursed down the side of her face. "When me and Casey made love that night, it wasn't normal."

"What do you mean?"

Jane slumped down on to the window box and cleared her throat. "I knew where I was supposed to be. I was supposed to be with you like I had promised you I would be. He had texted me when he was at my front door. I mean," She put her head in her hands and sighed, "He was acting like freaking sad puppy because he flew in to surprise me. I mean, what was I supposed to do?"

Maura knelt beside her and sighed as she placed her hand on Jane's thigh.

"I told him that I was on my way out to see you, but he kept bugging me about staying and helping me through Barry's death. Truth is I didn't really want him to be with me that night. I wanted to be with you."

Maura nodded.

"But he was like: 'Oh, well I see how you're going to be. I fly out here to surprise you and all you want to do is go hang out with Maura. I deserve more.'" Jane looked up and Maura saw pain in Jane's eyes. "He made me feel bad for rejecting him, you know, and one thing led to another."

"Jane, you don't have to tell me this…"

"No, I want to." Jane sighed. "I got into it, I was really enjoying it. But only because in my mind, I had replaced him with you."

Maura swallowed hard and nodded.

"I knew that I could never have you like that, so I just pretended that Casey was you with a dick, making love to me."

"Oh Jane." Maura lowered her head and fought off an all too familiar feeling that rushed through her body.

"Yeah, pretty crazy huh? I mean, who does that?"

Maura said nothing, she was actually quite flattered.

"Anyways, it felt so good to me after I convinced myself that it was you. I mean, that was the most passionate sex that he and I ever had, until…" Jane's voice drifted off and she looked away.

"Until what?"

She sighed deeply and chuckled emptily, "Well, my dumb ass slips up and calls him by your name."

"Oh no," Maura gasped.

"Yeah. I remember saying, oh my god, I love the way you fuck me, Maur…" She laughed a bit and then her expression sobered, "and then he snapped and rightly so."

"He snapped? What do you mean?"

Jane squeezed her eyes tightly shut and bit down on her lip. Slowly she began shaking her head as she rung her hands. "I totally deserved it." She exhaled. "He…" she cupped her mouth, holding in the sob.

"Deserved what? Jane?" Maura took Jane's hands and squeezed them gently, "What did he do?"

Jane sighed heavily, "He like totally freaked out. And he said: 'You're thinking about Maura while I'm making love to you?' and I admitted that I was. All the while his dick was still inside of me, you know. Then he grabs my wrists and pins them right at my head and then he just starts fucking the hell out of me." Jane lowered her head and sniffled.

"What?!." She gasped. She was at a loss for words. Anger from deep within flashed up inside of her, blinding her momentarily. Maura squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and shivered as an overwhelming feeling of indignation washed over her.

"He kept at it until he finally came inside. So…" Jane cleared her throat and sat up straight. "The conception of our baby wasn't as romantic as one would imagine."

Maura just stared at her with a shocked expression on her face.

"And after it was over, he just blamed me for it. I guess had I not called out my best friend's name while my fiancé was making love to me, it would have ended totally different, huh?" She shrugged and waited for Maura to respond.

Maura tried her best to remain composed but the longer she looked into Jane's eyes, the more emotional she felt.

"My baby's life began in violence, and it ended in violence. And it's my fault."

"How is any of this your fault, Jane?" Maura's voice trembled as she looked up into Jane's eyes, "He raped you."

Jane shook her head, "No, he didn't."

"Yes he did!" Maura hadn't intended on raising her voice it just happened. "From what you just told me, he forced himself on you."

"We were already having sex, Maur. I mean I would have been mad too if my lover called out someone else's name."

"What?" Maura's eyes blazed with an indignation that Jane had only seen once before. Maura was angry. "Jane, how can you say that?"

"It is what it is. It happened; I can never go back and change it."

Maura just stared at her, slowly shaking her head. She felt the tears stinging the backs of her eyes. "I can't believe he did that to you!" She turned away from Jane and allowed herself to release a few tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jane just shook her head, "Because I know how you feel about him. It would have complicated things. I already feel bad enough, Maur. I brought this all on myself. This would have never happened if I had just kept my fucking mouth shut." Jane cupped her mouth and as Maura reached out to her, she rejected her once again. "No, please. I'm okay. I just need…" She said backing away and around Maura, "I just need a shower. I'll be back in a while."

"Jane? Jane wait," Maura started off after her but Jane was walking briskly down the hallway. Maura caught her right before she dipped into the bathroom. "Jane… Please don't go like this?"

Jane put her hands up defensively and nodded. "I'm okay. I just want to be alone." She said even though she didn't really mean it. The look in Maura's eyes spoke volumes as she let go of her and backed away. "I'm sorry," Jane whispered as she grabbed Maura and planted a kiss on her lips. Maura held on as Jane's tears turned into sobs and she sobbed through their kiss.

She tried to pull away, but Maura held on tighter, kissing her pain away.

"Please let me go," Jane asked, but her heart pulled Maura closer and tighter.

By now, Maura's tears were streaming down her face. "Wherever you go, I will follow, remember?" She whispered, cupping Jane's face.

"Why do you want to follow me?"

Maura wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tighter, moving around and pulling her into the bathroom. "Come with me." She said as she guided Jane into the bathroom. She sat Jane on the small chair by the door and walked over to the shower and turned it on.

The water heated up fairly quickly as Maura walked back over to Jane and took her hand.

"What are you doing" Jane asked, her body trembling as Maura took her into her arms.

"Keeping my promise." She answered as she finished unbuttoning Jane's shirt. "I promised to love you, no matter what." She said dropping her shirt to the floor.

"But Maur, we can't make love."

Maura placed a soft kiss on Jane's shoulder, "I know…Shh. Relax, my love." She said reaching around and unsnapping her bra. Next it fell to the floor.

"What are you doing then?" She whispered before she pressed her lips against Maura's forehead.

Maura didn't answer, instead she removed her robe and sighed against Jane's shoulder, taking Jane's hands and pulling them up to her torso. Jane's hands were placed gently on either side of Maura's breasts, trembling.

"It's okay." Maura wrapped her hands securely around Jane's waist and waited for Jane to unsnap her.

A moment later, Jane's trembling fingers unsnapped Maura's bra and let it fall to the ground. Maura walked backwards to the shower. She glanced down at Jane's fleece bottoms.

"I'm plugged." She chuckled lightly.

Maura smiled and removed her own underwear before she reached and tugged off Jane's bottoms and underwear in one graceful move. Jane closed her eyes, a shiver passing over her body suddenly as Maura stepped backwards carefully into the shower.

She reached and took Jane's hand and pulled her in with her. Jane gazed into Maura's eyes as the warm water poured over their bodies. As she gazed into her eyes, Jane found comfort and security, something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Her heart swelled up in her chest as Maura reached up and stroked her hair, whispering "I love you", ever so softly against her lips.

Her eyes stung with tears as she leaned in and placed her head on Maura's shoulder. Maura wrapped her hands around Jane's neck and pulled her in closer, placing soft kisses on her cheek and temple.

"Dance with me," Maura whispered into her ear as she began a slow sway back and forth while she strummed Jane's hair.

"I can't… I'm hurting so bad, Maur."

"I know…" Maura said, continuing to carefully slow dance with Jane in the shower. Eventually Jane picked up the rhythm and tightened her grip around Maura, dancing close to her, their hearts beating in the same rhythm as the other. "I can feel your pain so strongly," she placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I know you can. I'm sorry for what I said. I know you care." Jane inhaled heavily and let out a quivering sigh. Next, a sob came out suddenly, overwhelming Jane as she buried her face into Maura's neck. "Make it stop."

Maura cupped her face and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Maura's lips trembled as she captured Jane's absorbing her pain into her own body. Each time Jane released her, Maura would take another kiss. "I'm never letting you go, Jane." She placed a soft kiss on her chin.

Jane choked up and bit her lip as she pressed her forehead against Maura's. Her knees seemingly grew weak and she knelt down in the shower. Her emotions getting the best of her. Maura followed her and embraced her, pulling her into her bosom as she cried.

Maura allowed a few minutes to roll by as she stroked Jane's hair, holding her close as she cried in her arms. Maura laid her head against Jane's and placed continuous soft kisses on the top of her head.

"I know you feel empty right now, but I promise you, we will fill that void together." Maura's breath was warm against Jane's face.

"How?"

Maura wished she had an answer for that question. "We are going to figure that out… together."

"Oh, Maur." Jane embraced her tighter and bawled her eyes out.

Maura reached and turned the shower down a little and settled into the corner of the tub, pulling Jane closer than ever. She inhaled deeply and she couldn't stop the sorrow that came out of her as she exhaled. She joined Jane and cried along with her…

Minutes passed, possibly an hour before their tears dried up. Maura reached and turned the shower off and got out of the tub to retrieve a towel. Jane remained in her spot as Maura dried herself off and brought the towel to Jane.

She sat down on the edge of the shower and dried Jane's top portion off. Jane took the towel and finished the rest. Maura stood and walked towards the door.

"I'll be in the bed waiting for you, Love." She said softly.

Jane nodded, "I'm probably not coming to bed yet."

Maura smiled. "Okay." She turned slowly and disappeared out of the bathroom.

* * *

Maura reached over and switched the light off and settled her head onto the pillow. It was so cold without Jane lying beside her. She closed her eyes and exhaled softly. A moment later Jane appeared in the doorway and walked quietly over to the bed. She pulled back the covers and slid in. Maura turned over and sighed with relief, thankful that Jane had chosen to be with her instead of being alone.

She reached out and touched Jane's face as Jane covered her hand with her own.

"Hey baby," Jane whispered.

"Hi." Maura smiled gently at her. "Are you getting sleepy?"

"Yeah." Jane said as she moved closer to Maura and allowed Maura to embrace her.

They flipped into their customary position with Maura as the big spoon, holding Jane close into her arms. She placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck and inhaled her sweetness.

"Thanks for what you did earlier."

"I needed a shower." Maura said.

Jane chuckled and playfully elbowed her. "That was really special to me." Jane leaned back received a sweet kiss from Maura.

"It was special to me too, Jane." She said as she wrapped her arm around Jane, resting her hand on her belly. "Do you want to try again one day?"

Jane sighed, "I think I may be too afraid to try."

"I understand." Maura kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I would carry the baby for us."

Jane turned to look into her eyes, "Are you serious?"

Maura nodded, "Yes, I am. I'll do it for us."

Jane's lips began to tremble as her eyes gave way to tears, "Oh my god."

Maura leaned in and kiss her until her tremors passed. "I love you." She whispered to her.

"I'm so glad." Jane responded.

After a few moments, Maura finally released her and laid her head down on the pillow beside Jane. "Let's go to sleep." She yawned, "I'll make us breakfast in the morning. And maybe then we can go for a walk later."

"I'd like that." Jane said softly.

"Good, me too." Maura sighed contently and settled in to fall asleep.

Jane stayed awake however, thinking about what happened earlier. She was in a panic mode and Maura stayed with her, even deciphering that she didn't want to be alone. And what happened in the shower was truly special to her. It wasn't a sexual thing. It was an emotional and spiritual moment. Maura refused to leave her in her time of absolute need.

She refused to leave…

Jane inhaled deeply and covered Maura's hand with her own. Maura responded by pulling her closer. She'd already fallen asleep and was responding to Jane's movements in her sleep. She was truly a special woman.

For the first time in a very long time, that dull churning pain she felt every day, every hour, every minute, and every second, had ceased. Now whenever she took a breath, instead of a sharp hot stabbing pain, she felt a calm descend over her. This was definitely a start to something better.

She swallowed her heart and closed her eyes. If she must move on, she would do so courageously. With Maura by her side, she knew that she could do and accomplish anything. As she contemplated Maura carrying their baby, her heart began to anticipate that time in the future when she could share that very special joy with Maura.

That was her hope. It was their hope...

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading. The drama will decrease, and the happiness will again abound in the coming chapters. I love writing the girls bonding and loving and just being happy together. Your reviews are welcomed. Thank you all who have reviewed this story so far. Keep following, exciting times are in store for them. :-)**


	11. Evergreen

**Chapter 11 – Evergreen  
** _(Content Warning: Maura wakes up hot...Skip first part if you can't handle the heat. It's warm and fluffy in second part.)_

Jane awakened to the sound of Maura's voice softly calling her. She sighed as her eyes slowly opened. Eventually the angelic visage of Maura's face came into view. The room was dimly lit and Maura lay right next to Jane facing her. The smile on her face as Jane opened her eyes was so refreshing and comforting.

"Good morning." Maura's soft voice greeted her.

Jane yawned and stretched a bit before resting her head back onto the pillow. "Morning, baby."

Maura smiled and reached over and caressed Jane's face.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked softly.

Maura simply nodded and glanced briefly at Jane's lips. "Yes, I'm okay." Maura sighed lightly and continued to caress Jane's face. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"You know I did."

"So did I."

"Why did you wake me up? I was sleeping so good." Jane chuckled a bit.

A look came over Maura's face as if telling Jane that she knew damn well why she woke her up, but instead of expressing her thoughts she just shrugged.

Jane smiled and reached over and pulled her closer, "What's the matter, Baby?" She said placing a soft kiss on Maura's cheek.

"You know what's wrong with me." She chuckled as Jane's lips gently kissed her neck. "You know how I am in the morning."

"Yeah, lucky me." Jane said softly as she ran her hand along Maura's thigh. Maura's leg moved slightly to the left, causing Jane's hand to pass over her smooth folds. She'll never complain about Maura spending $200 on a Brazilian ever again. "I love how soft you are."

Maura didn't respond, she just gazed lovingly into Jane's eyes as Jane touched her. Jane was happy to touch her, happy knowing that this heavenly body belonged to her. Maura's soft ivory skin was flawless, the epitome of beauty.

Jane felt the goosebumps rise over Maura's skin as her fingertips coursed over her body, down her back, up over her shoulders, down around her nipples. Jane smiled as she witnessed Maura's eyes momentarily flutter shut. She leaned in and kissed her lips softly at first, but more intensely as she felt Maura's lips tremble on contact.

Jane pulled away and stared into Maura's eyes. Still Maura hadn't said a word. Usually she would be all over Jane. Obviously she was exercising great restraint at the moment. Jane was sure that she was trying to be mindful of her current situation.

"I need to make breakfast," she finally said as she started to move away.

"Is that what you really want to do right now? It's still dark out."

Maura swallowed hard and looked over at the window, before locking eyes with Jane again.

"It wouldn't be fair." She said softly.

"It's not about fairness," Jane said as she stroked Maura's hair. "Tell me what you want."

Maura smiled and sighed heavily. "Honestly, I awakened you so I could taste your lips on mine. And…" Her voice trailed off as she pulled the covers back exposing her beautiful nude body.

Jane's eyes made a round-trip the length of her body in a matter of seconds. She took a big audible gulp, "And what?"

"And maybe if you want to, I can feel your lips elsewhere."

Now it was Jane's turn to swallow her heart. "Wow."

Maura chuckled and took Jane's hand, slowly bringing it to her lips where she kissed it ever so gently. To Jane's surprise, Maura slid her finger inside of her mouth, preparing Jane's finger to penetrate her. The sensation that this seductive act produced inside of Jane was nothing short of mind-boggling.

Jane felt her finger slide to the back of Maura's throat before Maura pulled it out slowly. "Oh my god," Jane gasped. All she wanted to do was kiss that beautiful mouth of Maura's, but as she leaned in, Maura leaned away. Maura pulled Jane's hand down to her soft pussy. It was radiating with sensual heat as her fingers toyed with Maura's folds gently.

Maura lay back onto the pillow and smiled as Jane explored her. Jane leaned in and kissed her slowly and passionately.

"Mmm," Maura moaned through their kiss. Her lips quivered as Jane gave no warning before she penetrated her with her finger. The first one breached her gently. "Oh Jane…" Maura's body trembled as Jane pushed into her as far as she could go. Maura's body was so tight as Jane pushed past her resistance enough to slide another finger inside.

"You feel so fucking amazing," Jane whispered, placing her head on Maura's shoulder to get at her from a better angle. Maura reached for Jane's head, forcing her slender fingers through her disheveled locks, and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

Maura's tongue snaked out and tangoed with Jane's as they kissed. Jane chuckled as she playfully made Maura's tongue "chase" after hers. She pulled back and smiled at Maura. Maura went for a kiss, but Jane retracted. She knew Maura hated being teased, but it also turned her on more.

"No teasing," Maura said latching on to Jane's lips, her soft tongue appearing once again to taste her lover's kiss. She twirled hers with Jane's, her body trembling on the edge of restraint. "Please, Jane, now. I can't. I need to feel your lips." She whimpered as she pulled on Jane's hair.

Jane could barely stand it! Maura was sending her on sensory overload. She loved seeing Maura squirm to her touch and anticipate her touch. Never had she imagined that they would be this far along in their relationship right now. It was mind-blowing. As Maura's hips moved in order to deepen the penetration, her body caught on fire. Jane's fingers moved inside of her with ease now.

Maura's skin prickled each time Jane's fingers darted inside. Her body engulfed Jane. Jane had never in her life wished that she was a guy until this moment. She wondered what it would feel like to be inside of her and to come inside of her. Jane shivered as the thought of it excited her beyond belief.

She leaned in and kissed Maura's awaiting lips. Maura's soft whimpers were extinguished by the intensity of Jane's kiss. She ran her fingers through Jane's hair and pulled her closer. Maura had hunger in her eyes. She wanted Jane more than anything. Her breaths were coming out heavy and her body trembled with need.

"Jane, please. I need you."

"I know baby."

Maura pressed her forehead against Jane's, her tongue reaching out and caressing Jane's top lip. "Why are you teasing me?"

Jane smiled, "I'm not."

Maura's back arched towards Jane as her body began doing things on its own. She anticipated Jane's touch so much that she was beside herself with arousal. Jane moved on top of her. She actually liked the top spot, now that she was coming into her own, and becoming more comfortable with her abilities. Her hands slid up Maura's wrists and entwined their fingers together. Maura instantly took a firm hold of her hands.

"Do you promise to hold me this tight forever?" Jane asked.

Maura nodded. "Yes, I promise. I'll never let you go."

Jane lowered herself onto Maura's body, releasing her hands slowly. Maura embraced her, pulling her closer, "You've set me free, Maur." Jane said as she kissed her ear softly, "You've brought me peace."

"And you've proved to me that my life has meaning." Maura said as Jane caressed her face with her cheek. The skin contact was so intimate and it excited Maura even more. "Promise me you'll always need me."

Jane's lips traveled along the edges of Maura's chin, tracing her beautiful jawline, "I promise." She whispered before dipping into her neck, capturing the delicate spots that make Maura melt in her arms.

"Yes…"

"You're the only reason why I'm living right now."

"Oh, my love," Maura exhaled as Jane began her descent on her. "You're everything I need."

Jane's tongue encircled Maura's hardened nipple, her eyes glancing up at Maura only to see her staring back at her. She fought a battle of closing her eyes and enjoying the pleasure of tasting Maura's body or holding Maura's gaze. Maura's lips curled up in a smile as she took Jane's head, guiding her while she pleased her. Jane pleasured Maura's nipples the way that she loved it for a few minutes before she took the hint from Maura that she wanted her elsewhere.

All the while, her eyes stayed glued on Maura. She had accepted Maura's challenge. You see, Jane had discovered that Maura loved to watch her. She'd watch her as she delicately kissed her with eyes glazed over with passion. Maura's chest heaved up and down; her body trembling as Jane kissed her way down, only glancing down temporarily to make sure she was still on course.

"Uhmm, Jane…" Maura gasped as Jane reached her belly button.

Jane paused and smiled, circling her belly button with her warm tongue. Maura's eyes fluttered shut momentarily. "Eyes on me." Jane whispered.

Maura's eyes shot opened and continued to watch Jane, her trembling hands holding Jane's head as she hovered above her pulsating clit. Jane glanced down at it, quickly deciding which technique she was going to use, and then she glanced back up at Maura who by now was unraveling and Jane hadn't even began.

"Baby, please… I can't wait. I need you." Maura said, pulling Jane closer while bringing her hips to join Jane's warm lips. The moment Maura's body was united with Jane's mouth, she began shaking uncontrollably. "Oh my god, yes… Jane…Oh Jane… Baby I love you…" she moaned and whimpered as she moved her hips with Jane.

Jane tended to Maura's delicacy with passion and care, being certain to pay special close attention to Maura's beautiful clit that was wrapped tightly between her lips. She created a suction drawing Maura deeper into her.

"That's it… Mmmm… Yes." Maura's fingers clenched Jane's hair as she entwined them behind Jane's head, riding Jane's mouth with a passionate rhythm. "Your tongue is amazing."

Jane couldn't help but to smile. If she wanted to move, she couldn't because Maura had her pressed firmly against her, just allowing enough space for air. That's all she needed anyway, air to breathe. She didn't need anything else as she contemplated pleasing Maura until she couldn't take anymore.

Jane thought back on last night and how Maura undressed her and pulled her into the shower with her. And how she slow danced with her under the stream of the water, while her pains and tears washed down the drain; and how she kissed her and caressed her pain away. Jane's heart began to swell up as her lips continued to taste Maura. Maura never asked for anything from Jane. Just her love.

"Jane…" Her name dripped off of Maura's lips. "I love you so much…. Mmm, I love this…" Her entire body trembled.

Jane's fast flicks turned into slow licks and deep probing kisses. The passion was evident as her mouth proved just how deeply she cared for Maura. The consistent figure eights were what drove Maura over the edge. The movement of her hips picked up in speed, and the sweetness of her impending orgasm tantalized Jane's taste buds. She wrapped her hands around Maura's thighs and settled in for the finish.

"Oh… mmm…Baby yes… mmm…Oh, F—" The expletives rolled off of Maura's lips with ease as she gave in to the powerful orgasm that overtook her entire body.

Jane held on until Maura's body stopped shuddering underneath her, after which she moved up beside her and cuddled her, her body was glistening with sweat. Jane kissed her softly on the shoulder. Maura turned and stared at her, tears pooled in the wells of her eyes. She reached and cupped Jane's face, running her thumb along Jane's lips as she gazed at them. Jane smiled and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. Maura parted her lips slightly, invited Jane in. Jane obliged and slid her tongue inside, caressing Maura's slowly. After a few moments of sensual kissing, Jane pulled away and laid her head on Maura's shoulder. Maura embraced her and pulled her closer.

"Thank you, Love." Maura sighed.

Jane snuggled in Maura's embrace and sighed, "Man, I'm definitely going to need to start taking vitamins if you wake up like this every morning."

Maura laughed, "Really, Jane?"

"You wore me out, Baby."

"Good. Now go back to sleep." Maura said pulling the covers up to Jane's ears and sighing contently, "When we get back home, remind me to take out an insurance policy on your tongue."

Jane burst into laughter. She was quite flattered by Maura's statement. "You're silly." Jane said sleepily. As she relaxed in Maura's arms, she felt relaxed and content and satisfied. She hadn't even had an orgasm, but Maura's was enough for the both of them. She fell back asleep with Maura on her mind and on her heart. The sweetest slumbers were those when she was in Maura's arms.

* * *

Jane awakened once again to the scent of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. She looked over at the clock and it was nearly 9:30 am! She'd slept for hours. She hopped up quickly and grabbed a change of clothes out of the drawer and darted into the bathroom. She hoped the water would warm up as quickly as it did last night. To her satisfaction it did. She took a very hot shower, taking an extra few minutes to wash her lingering sorrows down the drain. She was in and out of the shower within 15 minutes.

She changed quickly into something casual and walked into the kitchen. She stood there in the doorway, taking a moment to watch Maura as she cooked breakfast. She was making pancakes, bacon, eggs, and coffee.

She stepped up behind her carefully and embraced her, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. "Good morning again, Beautiful."

Maura chuckled and sighed. "Good morning." She turned her head to receive a kiss from Jane. The peck was light, but full of love.

Jane released her and walked over to the plate of bacon, "Yum," she said as she grabbed a couple of pieces and popped them into her mouth. Maura reached over and popped her hand. "Hey!" a smile crossed her face.

"Save some for me."

Jane craned her eyebrow, "Oh, I'm saving some for you alright?" She said suggestively.

Maura's cheeks blushed red. "Oh my…" She flipped a pancake and glanced over at Jane, "I can't wait." She winked at her and went back to flipping the pancakes.

Jane fixed herself a cup of coffee and sipped it slowly while standing there watching her. "Hey, do you mind if I put on some music?"

"Of course not, what do you have in mind?"

Jane walked over to her messenger bag and pulled out a small media player. She sighed heavily and pulled out her portable speakers as well. She walked them over to the counter beside Maura and set it up.

"I borrowed this from Barry. I never had a chance to return it." She said as she connected the player to the speaker. "He had this thing loaded up with some pretty cool songs."

Maura turned to Jane, her mouth pursed to say something, but no words came out. A smile transformed her face when Jane flipped it on. The first song that played was _Thinking Out Loud,_ by Ed Sheeran _._ Maura reached down and turned the stove off. She sighed as she shook her head.

"Do you remember where we were when we heard this song?" Jane asked.

Maura chuckled. "Yes! How could I forget? This was the song that Barry sang at Karaoke night."

Jane laughed, "He told me that he'd sing a song if I promised to dance with you. I agreed. I had no idea what song he was going to sing until he started singing it."

"Really?" Maura's eyes widened.

Jane nodded. "He thought I was wasted, but I wasn't that drunk, you know."

Maura smiled and moved towards her. "You weren't drunk at all."

Jane laughed, "Yeah, I know, but I had to have a reason to dance with my best friend."

Maura took her hand and pulled her closer. "Are you leading or am I?"

"I'm taller."

Maura chuckled and nodded, "You've got a point there," she said as she allowed Jane to lead.

Jane reached over and hit the replay button, starting it over from the beginning. Maura placed her head on Jane's shoulder. "He sang the heck out of this song, didn't he?"

"He certainly did." Maura sighed. "I think he knew how we felt long before we did."

"I think so too." Jane's heart rose into her throat. "Will your lips remember the taste of my love?"

"Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?" Maura sang to her, immediately she saw Jane's smile reach her eyes.

They danced slowly to the song as they reminisced the first time that they danced to this song.

"Take me into your loving arms…" Maura sang along as she gazed lovingly into Jane's eyes. Jane pulled her closer and kissed her.

They kissed slowly while dancing to the song. Maura reached up and laced her fingers through Jane's hair, pulling her closer as they danced and kissed tenderly.

"I love you so much." Maura whispered against Jane's lips, before kissing her softly again.

"Thank you for loving me, Maur." Jane embraced her, swaying slowly as the song progressed to the end of the loop. "Your love saved my life."

"As yours did mine."

Jane pulled away and spun Maura around gently, bringing her back into her embrace. They continued dancing even after their song had gone off.

"I want to share everything with you."

"All I need is you."

"You waited for me and you never left me. I'll never forget that." Jane's eyes let go of a tear. Had it not dripped onto Maura's forehead she would have never known.

She looked up at Jane and smiled, wiping the tear away. "I'm going to marry you. I'm not going anywhere. Your love is good for me and I need you."

"What if I freak out on you again like I did last night? You don't deserve that."

Maura cupped her face, "That doesn't matter, Jane. I'm sure there are times when I'll freak out too. Will you leave me if I do?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why would I leave you?"

Jane lowered her head and shrugged, "You wouldn't."

"You bring so much joy into my life, Jane."

Jane pressed her lips against Maura's forehead. "You do the same for me. I cherish what we have. I'm just so afraid of losing you."

"We have the same fears, but even though I am afraid, I want to love you as much as I possibly can, as often as I can. Life is too uncertain to not try."

"I know."

"Our hearts speak to each other. When we make love, it's on a higher level than anything I've ever had before."

"Me too."

"Knowing that you are in law enforcement gives me great anxiety. I could lose you at any time."

Jane nodded, "But if anything ever happened to you, I would want to be able to look back and say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I did everything, and I mean everything…" Maura choked up just contemplating the loss of Jane, "to show you that I loved you with everything that I had."

Jane gasped and pulled her in closer, "I want that too." She said stroking Maura's hair.

"Thank you for loving me."

"Thank you for saving me, Maura." She kissed the top of her head softly.

Silence followed as they became lost in each other's embrace. In fact, they could have continued frozen there if Jane's stomach hadn't started growling. Maura chuckled softly and kissed her on her cheek.

"I almost forgot that I needed to feed you." She said pulling Jane to the table where she sat her down and kissed the top of her head. She fixed two plates and sat down with Jane.

They dined in silence, stealing glances from each other occasionally. About half way through the meal, Jane reached over and took Maura's hand and held it while they ate.

"You know I only want the best for you right, Maur."

She nodded, "I want the same for you."

"Are you happy with me?"

"Very much so."

Jane smiled and brought Maura's hand up and kissed it. "I've never been happier before in my life."

Maura just smiled and nodded. That was music to her ears. She finished eating her meal and stood to clean the table.

"Are you ready for that walk now?" Jane asked.

"We had some snow last night. So we won't be able to take our walk," She pouted.

Jane shrugged, "That's too bad," She said glancing over at the couch. "How bout we build another fire, snuggle and watch Netflix on your Ipad?"

A bright smile crossed her face as she nodded approvingly. "Yes. I would love that."

Jane stood and took her hand. "Come on; let's go get the wood for the fire."

There was nothing better than cuddling with your favorite person watching Netflix…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this update. This story will be coming to a close soon with an epilogue that will explain the title of this story. When I was writing my outline for the epilogue, I was crying my eyes out LOL. GOOD HAPPY TEARS, BC of the outcome of their relationship. This will have an EXTREMELY happy ending. :-) Anyways, thanks again for reading. Reviews welcomed. I always like hearing how you felt about my update. Thanks to all the faithful reviewers. Much love to you! :-***


	12. Metamorphosis

**Chapter 12 –** **Metamorphosis**

Jane stood outside on the porch watching the light shower of snowflakes fall gracefully across the terrain. Maura had gone back inside to layer up, so Jane waited patiently for her to return. She leaned against the post and gazed up at the sky. She inhaled the fresh mountain air deep into her lungs before exhaling. Man, it felt great. She zipped up her jacket and tightened her scarf around her neck. After watching 3 hours' worth of Netflix, Maura was ready to get out of the house.

They were going for their walk… while it was probably 100 below…In the snow... Love makes a person do some crazy things.

Jane shook her head and sighed, "Only for you, Maur." She said sliding her knit cap onto her head, pulling it over her ears. She stepped down the stairs and surveyed the area. "Where in the hell are we going to walk?" She asked.

"How about we make our own path?" Maura said as she came out of the door and onto the porch. She looked amazing in her _Saint Laurent_ , double breasted wool cape, with a matching wool cap. She definitely wasn't going to freeze.

Jane looked at her and shook her head, "Seriously?"

"What?"

"You look like a vampire."

Maura chuckled and stepped down the stairs, taking Jane's extended arm. "I do not."

Jane pulled her into her arms and kissed her lightly. "Do you have your phone?"

Maura nodded.

"Let's take a selfie."

Maura quickly whipped out her phone and posed for the selfie with Jane. Actually they took a few, maybe about five photos in all; two normal ones, two photos while they were kissing, and one silly photo. Maura smiled warmly as she scrolled through them.

"We take beautiful pictures together, Jane."

"Yep, we do," Jane said as she tugged Maura's arm to begin their walk. "I'm freezing my ass off, babe, let's go." She started off down the drive with Maura in tow.

"Oh wait! I forgot something!" Maura said as she put the brakes on and turned back towards the house.

Jane stayed put, not even turning to see what Maura was doing. A moment later, something hit her on the back of the head. Jane knew exactly what was happening.

"You little!" She said spinning around to see Maura primed to toss another snowball at her. "Seriously, Maur. I'm already freezing."

"I'm so sorry, Jane." She said as she hurled the other ball at her, hitting her square in the face. She burst into laughter.

Jane brushed the snow off of her face and chuckled. "Oh, so that's how you wanna play, huh?" she said reaching down and grabbing a handful of snow. She rolled it into a ball and tossed it at Maura. Of course Maura ducked and Jane missed her by a split hair. Before she knew it, Maura had tossed another one at her. It connected with her face.

"Ahh!" Jane went down with a thud. "Oh my god, Maur, I think that had a rock in it," She groaned as she held her face.

"Oh no," Maura said as she flew down the steps and skidding in next to Jane. "Jane, let me look at it, please. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Jane just laid there groaning, "I think I'm hurt bad, Maur." Jane rolled over into a ball and held her face.

"Please, Jane let me look at your face," Maura said reaching towards her, "Oh my god, if I damaged your beautiful face…" she said while pulling Jane up into a sitting position, "I never forgive myself!" Maura pulled Jane's hand away from her face only to see a huge grin plastered all over Jane's face. Maura knew that she'd been tricked.

Before she could react, Jane tossed a snowball that she had conspicuously crafted straight at Maura's face. Maura fell back laughing her ass off.

"You tricked me!" Maura laughed as Jane topped her, holding Maura's hands above her head. Maura smiled and pursed her lips for a kiss.

Jane leaned in and kissed her lightly. "Never underestimate your badass girlfriend."

"Yes Madame." She chuckled. "Mmm," she groaned, "Is that a gun in your pocket, Detective, or are you just happy to see me?"

Jane laughed, "You are so crazy, Maur." She said rolling off of her, and making sure her weapon was holstered securely. "I never leave home without it."

"Why did you bring it?" She asked hopping to her feet and readjusting her outfit. "There aren't any bad guys up here. We are all alone."

"Maybe not bad guys, but bears and…" Jane paused mid-sentence and a mischievous smile crossed her face, "Wait, we're all alone?"

Maura nodded and slipped her arm around her. "Yes, all alone, my love."

"Nice."

"Well, actually that's not true. Our nearest neighbors are a local Judge and his wife." Maura said.

"How far are they?"

Maura shrugged, "Hmm, approximately 5 miles."

"That's awesome." Jane shivered a bit, "I'm totally freezing now." She said as wrapped her arm around Maura and held her closer. "We'll do this walk, but I'm going to need something warm to drink when we get back."

"No problem." Maura said softly as she walked with Jane.

"I've been experiencing a lot of firsts with you." Jane said.

"Same here."

As silence fell over them, it seemed like they had been sucked into a vacuum because the only sounds they could hear were the crunch of their footsteps and their breath. Jane glanced over and saw Maura staring at her. Her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled like diamonds.

"Your eyes are so beautiful," Jane sighed.

"Thank you." Maura said as she moved in front of Jane blocking her way.

"What's up?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Have you ever made love outside?"

Jane chuckled, "Of course I have, but not when it's fucking two hundred below."

Maura laughed, "It's not that cold, it's only…" She said checking the temp on her cell, "twenty degrees Fahrenheit."

Jane's mouth dropped open, "What the hell, twenty degrees!?"

Maura nodded and started walking again. Jane glanced back at the house and groaned.

"Maur, my nipples are freezing."

"Oh my. I'll warm them up for you." She said moving closer to Jane. Jane blocked her approach.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" she chuckled, "Are you still hot?"

Maura simply shrugged and pouted playfully.

"Oh my god… I think I need to reconsider this relationship," Jane joked. She shivered again and tightened her coat. "Hey Baby, I have nothing to insulate me. I'm getting really cold. Could we walk again tomorrow?"

Maura nodded and turned around, "Of course." She said softly walking back towards the house, "I wouldn't want you to succumb to hypothermia." She said placing her head on Jane's shoulder.

"Are you disappointed?"

"Not at all, my love." Maura tightened her grip on her hand. "If all I have is you, I'm happy."

Jane smiled from ear to ear. Maura made her feel like the most important person on the planet. "I want to do something spontaneous, Maur."

Maura turned to her and smiled, "Ooh, something spontaneous?"

"Yeah," Jane said swallowing hard.

Maura picked up on her anxiety, "What on Earth did you have in mind?"

Jane laughed nervously and paused. She turned to Maura and caressed her cheek. "So you know our neighbor, the Judge?"

Maura nodded as she attempted to read Jane's awkward expression.

"Is he a friend of your folks?"

Maura shrugged, "My mother and he are close, yes."

A smile crossed Jane's face as she leaned in and kissed Maura lightly on the lips. "Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking?"

Maura's eyes searched hers while she decoded Jane's expression. "Are you serious?" Maura gasped.

Jane nodded.

Tears immediately formed in Maura's eyes as her lips trembled against Jane's. She leaned in and took Jane's lips, pulling her in firmly. She released her, their lips parting delicately. "Are you sure about this?"

Jane nodded again, "I'm sure."

"Oh, Jane, I don't know what to say." Maura whispered as she stroked Jane's hair with her trembling fingers.

"Just say yes, you'll call in a favor to the Judge." She said nodding, encouraging Maura to nod also.

Maura chuckled and hugged Jane's neck. "I'm sorry; I'm just in shock right now. I didn't think you wanted it to be this soon. I mean, I haven't even purchased a ring."

Jane placed her index finger on Maura's lips, "Shh, first thing's first. Let's just see if he's home and ask him. We'll worry about the rings later."

"But what about a ceremony, cake, a dress…?"

Jane just smiled and shook her head. "We can do it officially later. For now, let's just get him to marry us."

"But we're not residents of Maine and…" Maura's panic-stricken thoughts were silenced by Jane's warm lips pressing against hers. Jane knew that Maura was anxious and thinking way too much about the situation.

"Do you want to marry me?" Jane asked as she pulled away.

"Yes."

"Then let's cash in that favor and get married. I'm sure the judge has some licenses lying around, right? Plus, if he doesn't we'll just go to town hall tomorrow and get one."

Maura just stared at her as her mind processed Jane's thoughts. Slowly a smile crossed her face. Finally they were on the same page.

"I'm so scared, Jane."

"Of what?"

"I'm afraid that I'm dreaming this and I'll wake up."

Jane nodded and moved closer to her, pinching her firmly on her side.

"Ouch! Why did you pinch me?" Maura winced as she rubbed her side.

"Did you wake up?"

"What? No."

"Well, then you're not dreaming, now come on," Jane said as she pulled Maura back onto the porch. "The next time we walk through these doors, you'll be my wife."

"No, you'll be mine," Maura said as she crossed the threshold.

Jane chuckled, "We are going to need to come to an agreement of who will lead in this relationship."

Maura shrugged, "Clearly it's me." She said as she pulled off her coat and hung it up. "I have you wrapped around my finger."

Jane just looked at her sideways as she tossed her jacket over the arm of the chair. "Is that right, huh?"

Maura winked at her as she walked into the kitchen and turned the kettle on. "Hot cocoa?"

"Yum," Jane said as she came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "You do not have me wrapped around your finger."

Maura sighed lightly as Jane's lips kissed her ear softly. "Yes, I do."

Jane's cold hands slipped underneath Maura's shirt, instantly causing her to tense up. "You're sure?"

Maura nodded briskly, "Yes." Her hands reached out and braced herself against the countertop as Jane pressed against her. "Your hands are freezing, Jane."

"I know." Jane whispered into her ear, "May I warm them up real quick?" Jane's breath danced across Maura's ear. Maura began to tremble as Jane lowered her hands, slipping them underneath the elastic in Maura's lounge pants. "Hmm?"

Maura opened her mouth to answer, but the only thing that came out was a deep quivering sigh. Actually it was more like a whimper as Jane's cold fingers passed over her not so cold pussy. Maura reached back and cupped Jane's head, pulling her in as she continued to kiss and touch her.

"You are so naughty," Maura whispered against Jane's face. "We are not going to get anything done during our vacation, if we keep this up."

Jane placed her hand over Maura's belly and kissed her softly on the neck. "Do you really want to carry our baby?"

"Yes, very much so."

Jane sighed heavily and kissed the area between Maura's shoulders, "This morning when I was making love to you, for first time in my entire life, I wanted to…" Jane pulled Maura closer and nibbled on her shoulder.

Maura clenched Jane's hair as she moved her hips against Jane, "You wanted to what?" she asked breathlessly.

"Be a man." She whispered.

Maura whimpered as Jane circled her blooming arousal. "Why?"

"I think you know why." Jane closed her eyes and relished in the physical contact with Maura, "I see you like the way I'm touching you."

"Always."

"I wanted to know what it felt like to be inside of you." Jane felt a tremble pass through Maura's body.

"Really?" Maura's breaths were coming out faster and if Jane didn't know better, she would swear Maura was about to…

"Don't you do it." She whispered in her ear.

"Don't do what?" Maura's hips continued to move with Jane's hands, causing Jane's fingers to slip deeper. Maura did not want to hear "No" at that moment. "I'm just warming your hands."

The kettle started making low whistling sounds as the water heated up.

"What else did you wish you could do?" Maura asked.

"Along with wishing I could be inside of you, I wish that I could make love to you and come inside of you… I wondered what it felt like. I wished that I could."

"Oh my god…"

Jane felt Maura's body quivering around her fingers. "Who's going to lead in our relationship?" Jane cooed in her ear.

"Mmm… Me."

"Who?" Jane increased her rhythm while Maura held on.

"Me."

Jane took her and spun her around, pressing her against the fridge. Jane French kissed her while she drove her fingers inside of her. Her hands weren't cold anymore, the strangest thing.

Maura's eyes fluttered shut.

"Look at me."

Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled at Jane as her entire body shuddered to Jane's touch. Jane leaned in and kissed her passionately on the spot that melted her, while she continued to touch her intimately. Jane's tongue snaked out and caressed her neck, her lips sucking it lightly. Jane pulled away and peered deep into her eyes. "Are you going to be my lady?"

Maura nodded, "Yes… I am your lady."

Jane felt her fingers being squeezed as Maura's throbbing body clamped down around her. She leaned in and grazed her lips lightly across Maura's chin moving up towards her ear. She slowly kissed it, sliding her tongue around inside of her ear. "Are you going to come for me?"

Maura swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, Baby I am." A moment later, Maura latched onto Jane's lips as her orgasm took over. Jane held her as her knees grew weak. "Mmm, okay, It's you…" She gasped. "You lead us."

Jane chuckled and pulled her closer. "I can't wait to marry you."

"You make me so happy."

"I'm sure. You've come twice already today. You're getting spoiled."

"By all means, spoil me baby."

Jane smiled and kissed her again. "We better get cleaned up so we can go visit the judge."

"I'm so excited, love."

"Me too. I'm especially excited about the honeymoon."

Maura sighed heavily and shook her head.

"What?"

"Do you think we are having too much sex?"

"Fuck no. We aren't having enough actually."

Maura smiled and blushed. "I'm so lucky, but seriously Jane. I don't want you to think that I'm all about sex."

Jane sighed and kissed Maura's forehead. "I know that."

"I just want to be sure."

Jane cupped Maura's face and smiled. "Do you remember that first night we slept in the same bed together?"

Maura nodded.

"I was so scared… Terrified actually of Hoyt. But I was happy just knowing that I wouldn't be alone that night. But when you came in and laid beside me, I realized that you cared for me and you wanted to make sure that I was safe and comforted."

"I did, yes."

"You have no idea how much that meant to me. I started longing to be with you, if just by sleeping in the same bed together. It was something that I yearned for."

"Me too."

"I wish like hell…" Jane bit her bottom lip and sighed, pressing her forehead against Maura's, "I wish like hell I would have been there for you when you needed me."

"That doesn't matter anymore, Jane. You are here now and so am I. We are together."

Jane nodded, "I tried to bury what I felt, but ever since the first day I met you, I think I've been in love with you. But I was too afraid to admit it."

"I understand," she said as she caressed Jane's face. She placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"What color was I?"

Maura frowned and shook her head. "Pardon me?"

"That night we saw each other in the dark. What color did you see?"

"Oh yes…" Maura said as she closed her eyes momentarily to recall. "A soft blue, almost turquoise, why?"

Jane smiled. "I saw the same."

"What does that mean?"

Jane shrugged. "My mother seems to believe we are soulmates."

Maura's mouth opened slightly and then she nodded, "I believe we are, also."

"How do you know for sure?" Jane asked, although she already knew. She knew why she considered Maura her soulmate. She just wanted to know if it was the same.

"Our hearts speak to one another. And our minds. And our bodies. Oh my god the love that we make is intense and it electrifies me."

Jane just watched her and smiled.

"Every time your lips touch mine, I can't explain what I feel. I can see you when my eyes are closed because you are inside of me. You're inside of my mind and my heart and my spirit."

Jane shook her head. "Wow, we totally sound like a Harlequin novel."

Maura smiled and chuckled. "I know, it's very romantic this love we have."

"What are we going to tell our family when we come back married?" Jane asked.

"Hmm, maybe: We got married?"

Jane hugged her tightly, "Man, I hope I can make you happy."

"Please stop worrying about that. We are doing a good job so far."

Jane exhaled heavily and squeezed her tighter. "Hey Maur?"

"Yes love."

Jane pulled away from her and sat down in the chair at the table and pulled Maura closer. She looked up at her with sincere and loving eyes. "If you could live anywhere and do anything you wanted to do, where and what would it be?"

Maura was surprised by the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Please, just answer, Baby."

Maura mused over the question for a few minutes and then a smile crossed her face. "I would like to live here."

"Here?"

Maura nodded. "It's quiet and peaceful."

"What would you enjoy doing here?

"Besides making love to my wife every day?" Maura sat down on Jane's lap.

"Yes, besides that."

"Well, I would resign my duty as Chief Medical Examiner, and I'd live simpler, surrounded by life, raising an organic garden in my very own greenhouse."

"Nice," Jane said smiling up at her.

"And I would like to write novels, while I raised a child with you… A girl. Yes, a daughter."

"Aww." Jane said softly as she reached up and caressed her face.

"My life couldn't get any more perfect if I had those things."

Jane nodded and kissed her shoulder. "You are such a romantic."

"Maybe so, but all I want is my family."

Jane leaned her head against Maura's shoulder and sighed. "I cannot wait to start ours."

"Neither can I."

After a few moments of quiet reflection, Maura hopped up and took Jane's hand. "We need to shower so we can go see the judge. I'll call Mother on the way there."

Jane allowed Maura to lead her to the shower where they behaved and showered quickly and ran out to meet the Judge. This was by far the most spontaneous thing that either one of them had done, but it was well worth it.

Exchanging lasting vows with the person whom they loved was an occasion to be remembered for the rest of their lives. Jane and Maura's love had transformed and transcended through many trials. A true metamorphosis. Through peace, comfort, and trust, they turned their already solid bond into something that was unbreakable and unshakably reliable. There wasn't a doubt in either of their minds that the other would be there. They were already practicing the vows to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and health, for as long as they both were breathing.

So they couldn't think of anything better to do than go ahead and make it official…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! I appreciate your reviews & thoughts about my story. I wanted to address a PM, I received about the story getting too "Fluffy": Please read the story from chapter 1 to the newest update, and then tell me if you still feel it's too fluffy? Although the story's tone is warmer & fluffier than it started, I will never give you garbage. I do not believe in maintaining angst throughout a story. It's not healthy. A readers heart has to weep and then rejoice for the characters. Being in a constant state of angst is depressing. These two went through an emotional hell, which is described in earlier chapters, only to rise above that TOGETHER. Because of what they went through, they deserve this warm and loving break from the norm. Each update contains clues that leads to the finale, which will be a great day for the both of them. I believe that if Jane and Maura were given the chance to be alone, without anyone around or any bad guys to catch, they'll probably cuddle, eat, sleep, and have sex. And then repeat. I mean, who wouldn't? I truly appreciate each and every review, even if you feel negatively about my story. Stay tuned. You will NOT be disappointed.**


	13. Promise to Love

**Chapter 13— Promise to Love  
** _Content Warning: Post Marriage Loving, Warm and Fluffy as Hell._

The door swung opened slowly and there in the doorway stood Jane holding Maura in her arms. The moment was so surreal that Jane could have sworn that she was dreaming it. She stood there gazing into Maura's eyes, smiling at this beautiful woman who now belonged solely to her. Maura chuckled and glanced inside.

"Well, are we going to go inside?" She asked softly.

"I can't believe we did it." Jane laughed, placing a soft kiss on Maura's lips.

"We certainly did." Maura hugged her neck as Jane stepped over the threshold into their home.

As she entered inside carrying Maura, her heart became filled with emotion as the reality of their situation settled in. She'd just married her best friend!

Jane kicked the door shut with her foot and walked Maura into the living room. She placed her down slowly and sighed. "You know you're stuck with me now that you've made this hasty decision, right Doc?"

"Believe me, I've dreamed of this moment for a very long time, Jane." Maura said pressing her forehead against Jane's, "I'm very content right now." She placed a gentle kiss on Jane's lips and wrapped her hands around her waist. "I cannot believe things have changed so quickly. Am I dreaming this?"

Jane pressed her lips against Maura's forehead, "If that's the case, then we both are having the same dream."

Maura exhaled heavily, "Finally…"

Jane pulled her close and embraced her tightly. "Man, I'm so glad he owed your mother a favor."

Maura chuckled, "I know. He probably wouldn't have done it otherwise."

Jane took her hand and walked over to the fire and sat down against the couch, pulling Maura into her embrace. "God, Maur, we've been through it, haven't we?"

"Yes, we have."

"Sometimes I wonder will there ever be a time when you and I won't have to fear for our lives."

"There will be. We can make it that way." Maura assured her.

Jane inhaled deeply. Her mind couldn't fathom the thought of something happening to her and leaving Maura behind. Maura would be devastated. This little world that they've created was just perfect for Jane. It was just her and Maura. It was perfect.

And she couldn't think of life without Maura. She'd thought about how she would survive before, but now… Now that Maura was her wife, she couldn't think of parting from her. It hurt just thinking of it. She squeezed her tightly.

"You're turning me into a big softie, Maur."

"I am not!" She chuckled. "You were soft already."

Jane pressed her lips against Maura's temple and sighed, "You're such a liar."

"That's why I love you so much," Maura said turning around to face her, "You're so genuine and your heart is so kind and gentle."

"Aww, Maura."

"This may sound so incredibly sentimental, but…" She swallowed hard and cupped Jane's face, "You're all that I want and you're everything I need. I want to share my entire life with you, Jane."

Jane reached up and covered her hand. She couldn't stop the smile from crossing her face and reaching all the way up to her eyes. It was instantaneous and automatic.

"You rule my heart, Jane. You fill up my heart so fully that there's hardly space for anyone else." Maura's eyes searched Jane's, her hazel eyes peering deep into Jane's heart. "And I don't want anyone else there but you."

Jane leaned in slowly and kissed her. "Thank you." And she meant it. There was nothing greater than going through hell, and knowing that even if you were going through hell, you had someone by your side that would never leave.

"And I look forward to spending the rest of our days together."

"I do too." Jane's eyes continued to hold Maura's gaze as she smiled at her. Maura gently stroked Jane's hair as their eyes exchanged silent dialogue with each other. Jane knew what Maura was thinking and feeling and Maura knew what Jane was thinking and feeling. They were completely tuned in.

Jane closed her eyes finally and enjoyed Maura's soft caresses. Maura's hands were soft as her fingers traced Jane's beautifully chiseled jawline, her thumbs tracing her lips, touching her softly as Jane's body reacted to Maura's touches. "Statistics show that most successful marriages occur when the couples are best friends." Maura said softly.

Jane exhaled heavily and shook her head as she bit down on her lip. "Is that right, huh?" Jane said, her eyes remained closed while Maura touched her.

Maura nodded, "Yes."

"Then we should be good."

Maura could hear the emotion elevating in Jane's voice. She knew that Jane was emotional at the moment, she was too. It was a very emotional day for them. Jane's breaths came out heavily as she struggled to hold on to her tears. They sat in silence for a moment before Jane opened her eyes again. She exhaled heavily and smiled.

Maura didn't need to ask what was on Jane's mind, but she did anyway, "What are you thinking?" Maura asked her.

Jane shrugged. "A lot of things."

"What things?"

"Well, besides the obvious, I'm thinking about my career, our future and…" She said reaching up and tucking a loose strand behind Maura's ear, "I'm thinking about how much I wish you would fuck me right now."

Maura's mouth dropped open. She wasn't expecting that last part, but it definitely was a nice surprise! "Wow." She chuckled her cheeks turned rosy red.

"What? I mean, I'm really feeling a need right now." Jane said leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Maura's neck.

Maura leaned into Jane's kiss and sighed contently. "I know you must be. It's been days." A shiver went through her body as Jane's lips slowly caressed her neck. "I'm feeling a little bad about that."

"Don't feel bad. You're going to make up for it, right?"

"Yes," she whispered as Jane continued to kiss her neck. She swallowed hard and pulled Jane away from her. "Is it still going?"

"Last time I checked, I was finished." A smirk crossed Jane's face.

"Oh my," Maura cooed, "So you're done? When were you going to tell me?"

Jane shrugged, "Maybe I was planning to surprise you tonight."

They laughed together before Maura latched on to Jane's lips, kissing her softly at first, and then deeper as her passion for her new wife grew. She moved into Jane's lap, straddling her as she held her. "I've missed you." Maura sighed against Jane's lips.

"I've missed you too." Jane said as she accepted Maura's passionate kiss. Maura usually went from zero to horny in just a matter of a few seconds, so Jane was prepared for this. Maura moved in her lap, riding her slowly while kissing her. Jane loved it when she did this.

"Are you taking my name?" Maura asked as she pulled away.

"Are you serious?" She said between kisses, "Jane Isles sounds funny."

"What about Detective Jane Rizzoli-Isles?" Maura's lips trailed down Jane's cheek to her neck. Her soft lips were so warm and inviting. Jane certainly missed feeling her lips on her sensitive areas. "That sounds nice, right?"

"Or, how about Dr. Maura Isles-Rizzoli?" Jane countered. By now Maura's lips were driving her insane. What she really wanted to do was stop all the damn talking and get down to business. Maura's body moved on top of her in ways that drove her insane. Even more so, knowing that this beautiful body belonged to her, took her excitement to another level.

"Should we start our honeymoon right now?"

"Why not?" Jane said pulling Maura with her as she lay down on the floor. Maura took Jane's hands and entwined their fingers together as she straddled her.

"I could really devour you right now, I hope you know that."

Jane simply nodded.

"I've waited so patiently…" Maura said as she dipped in and kissed her lips, "I need to make love to my wife, tonight; preferably right now." Her smile was enough to melt the panties right off of Jane.

Jane didn't try to control the rush that she felt the moment Maura's lips touched hers again. This time it was different than before. She belonged to Maura and she could tell that she handled her differently. The way she kissed and touched her made Jane feel complete and cherished. She was Maura's possession and she knew it.

Jane embraced Maura and pulled her into the kiss, their bodies pressing together to become one person, one soul, and one being. Belonging to one another had changed the depth of their intimacy and had taken their love to an entirely new place.

Maura broke away from the kiss and smiled, "I think it'll be fitting if I took your name so our child will have your name."

Jane stared at her. She was sure that the love she had for her at that moment was very evident.

"You mean that, Maur?"

Maura nodded, "I certainly do. There would be no greater honor than carrying both your name and your child, Jane."

Jane swallowed her heart and groaned. The groan came from somewhere deep inside, she wasn't sure where it came from; it just came out. "I want you so bad." She said pulling Maura in for another fevered kiss. She crawled up onto the couch and Maura wasted no time topping her and placing passionate kisses all over her face, neck and torso.

Maura was so eager and anxious to be with Jane and to please her. She'd waited so long it seemed. Her soft lips pressed gently against Jane's neck, trailing kisses down to her most favorite spot on Jane's body. Jane chuckled a bit; apparently Maura had hit a tickle spot somewhere along the way. Maura loved being with Jane. Their love was so fun, free, and natural. Just two weeks ago, neither one of them had ever had an intimate experience with a woman, and now… They were experts.

"Don't ever give this away to anyone else," Maura sighed as her tongue circled Jane's nipple. "This is all mine."

"And what would you do if I did?" Jane teased her, pulling Maura closer as her lips enveloped her quivering flesh.

Maura didn't answer right away; she was too busy pleasuring Jane's breasts. "Mmm, I don't think you want to know, Detective." Her voice was smooth and very seductive. A mischievous grin followed her statement.

Her kisses were deep and passionate. Jane could really feel Maura's love in her touch and in everything that she did. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind. It excited her to think that she was going to feel this level of pleasure every day for the rest of her life. It didn't seem like anything could take away from this joy that she had. It felt surreal to be this happy and this satisfied with someone.

Maura came back and took her lips passionately. "Let's go to the bedroom," she said softly between kisses.

"Right here will be fine," Jane said as she began tugging at Maura's clothing. "I don't need wiggle room. Let's do this."

"Oh my, aren't we bossy?"

"No, I'm just horny." Jane laughed as Maura sat up and started removing her own clothing.

"Okay, I don't mind the couch." As soon as she leaned in to kiss Jane again, Jane's phone started ringing. Of course they ignored it for a moment, because it was Angela's ringtone. "Angela has the worst timing," Maura groaned. "I thought you turned your phone off?"

Jane laughed and reached for her phone.

Maura stilled her hand, "Don't answer it."

"If I don't answer she'll keep calling."

Maura sighed and pouted playfully, "Fine." She said as she let go of Jane's hand and laid her head down on Jane's shoulder, nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck. It was then that she had the brilliant idea to be naughty.

Jane hit the talk button and answered the phone…

"Hey Ma, what's up?"

"Hey sweetie, I was just checking on you girls." Angela greeted cheerfully.

Jane opened her mouth to respond, but Maura had just placed a soft kiss on her neck, causing her words to die on the tip of her lips. Maura's tongue appeared and traced the length of Jane's neck as her lips trailed downward. Her mouth made light smacking sounds, just barely audible to the human ear. What could be heard however, were the sounds of a steady moan escaping from Jane's throat.

Jane shivered and cleared the arousal from her throat. "Uh, we're good." She said swatting playfully at Maura. Angela starting in talking about whatever she called about, but Jane didn't hear a word she was saying.

Maura laughed a little and continued to kiss her way down. She found her favorite place once again and latched on to Jane's beautiful nipple. Her tongue traced it, slowly circling it, anticipating it hardening with arousal. She blew a soft cool breath on it, and watched it harden. She glanced up to see Jane staring back at her. She smiled and kept her eyes on Jane as she took it into her mouth and sucked it gently.

Jane's eyes fluttered back into her head momentarily. "Oh my god… Um, hey Ma... Can I call you back tomorrow?"

Jane cut her off in mid-sentence. "Well, I suppose I could. Are you feeling okay?"

"Umm hmm, I'm good." Jane said nearly breathlessly. She couldn't believe Maura was being so naughty! Maura was full of surprises. Given the opportunity, she would misbehave. Jane reached down and clenched Maura's hair, causing Maura to clamp down on her. Her entire body trembled with want and desire. "I'm just in the middle of something. I promise I'll call you back."

Maura had moved over to the other one and gave it similar treatment, never once taking her eyes off of Jane.

"Okay, make sure you do, I have something important to tell you." Angela said.

"Umm Hmm, I have something to tell you too."

"What is it?"

"Tomorrow…" Jane exhaled. Her breaths came out labored and heavy with desire. "Bye, Ma." She said before quickly hanging up.

She dropped her phone on the floor and pulled Maura up to her lips, kissing her passionately. "You… are so ….bad," she sighed between kisses, "I love you."

Maura chuckled and moved off of the couch, pulling Jane up with her. She pulled her into her arms and held her close. "I wish time would stop for us, so we could be like this for the rest of our lives."

"We will be," Jane said softly as Maura took her hands and walked towards the bedroom.

She paused at the door, turning to face Jane with an eager smiling face. She didn't need to say anything, her smile spoke for her. Jane's face lit up as Maura entered the bedroom, stopping right by the bed. She pulled Jane to her and kissed her softly. The passion was rushing strongly between them, their hearts were eager to make love to each other.

Maura reached and unbuttoned Jane's shirt, letting it fall gracefully to the floor. Her lips found Jane's shoulder, caressing it lightly as Jane unbuttoned Maura's bra underneath her shirt. A moment later, Jane was pulling Maura's shirt and bra over her head and tossing it into the corner of the room. Jane wasn't as graceful as Maura when it came to removing clothes. It really didn't matter how she took Maura's clothes off, as long as the clothes came off.

Maura placed her head against Jane's as Jane gazed into her eyes. Maura gently pushed her down on the bed and stalked towards her, her eyes hungry with passion. Jane settled onto the pillows and waited for Maura to join her. Their soft bodies pressed together, fitting into a loving embrace.

Maura moaned softly when Jane wrapped her legs around hers, pulling her in closer. Maura was very delicate and methodical. Jane had a hard time being patient. She wanted to feel her touch so badly that she couldn't stand the wait. She pulled at her with eagerness, her body slowly unraveling as she awaited Maura's love.

Jane's entire body trembled underneath Maura. The reaction that she was having to Maura's touch was new, and it was exciting, and it was welcomed.

"Maur…" she gasped as Maura's body pressed firmly against hers, the heat of Maura's pussy exchanged with her own. She reached up, pulling Maura's lips to hers and kissing her deeply.

She couldn't believe she was this aroused and Maura hadn't even made it down yet. Jane's lips quivered, her emotions were running on high. She felt the tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She'd never thought anyone could ever cause her to feel this much love. It was a feeling so strong and running so deeply, that it chased away fear, pain, and sadness.

Jane's body was comforted in Maura's arms. With Maura's body moving with hers, she felt at home, at peace, and finally free. Maura nudged Jane's leg gently and settled in for a slow grind, her eyes locking with Jane's as their bodies connected not only on a physical level but also on a spiritual level. Jane felt her heart rising into her throat and threatening to burst out.

Maura's eyes glazed over with a new look, one that Jane hadn't seen prior to this day. Her eyes fluttered shut momentarily as her speed picked up slightly. "Mmm, Jane, I love you." Maura whispered against her lips before she placed her head onto her shoulder.

Jane held her in place, strumming her fingers through her hair, while their bodies moved together. Maura's body was slick with sweat, her throbbing clit slipping together with Jane's as her arousal grew stronger.

"Yes…" Maura moaned into the crook of her neck. "You feel so good," Maura lips danced up and across Jane's ear.

Feeling Maura's breath dance across her ear excited her even more. She pulled her to her lips before she gave her a clear hint of where she wanted her to be. Maura of course, took no time descending on her.

"I love you so much," she whispered as her lips trailed hot kisses down her belly, pausing right at the bikini line. She gazed up at Jane and waited a moment for Jane's to focus on what she was about to do.

Jane's whole body was trembling with anticipation as she watched Maura's tongue appear out of her mouth and slowly snake towards her pulsating center. She couldn't take the anticipation. Maura's soft tongue danced across Jane's belly, down to her belly button and inside of it. Jane hadn't thought of her belly button being a pleasure center until this very moment. It felt awesome.

Jane's moans came out louder as she squirmed toward the top of the bed. She didn't even know why she was moving away from Maura's awesome tongue, but Maura quickly reminded her where she needed to be. Maura pulled her back down and against her eager and hungry tongue. There was no escaping it. Maura latched onto Jane, twirling her beautiful clit around in her mouth while intensifying the suction of her mouth.

Jane reached down and laced her fingers through Maura's hair and pulled her against her body.

"Don't stop." Jane choked out as her body began to take over for her. She loved the way Maura's soft lips and tongue felt against her, there was no greater feeling… like ever.

The way Maura's tongue twirled her and darted inside of her, and the way her lips kissed her delicate folds, there was no greater feeling… No greater love than what she felt at the moment.

Jane's volume increased the deeper Maura's kisses probed into her pussy. Then she began whimpering and declaring her love for her. She knew her orgasm was coming soon, but she didn't want it to end. There was really nothing she could do about it, the more Maura lapped up her love. There was nothing that Maura wouldn't do for Jane. She enjoyed her flavor, her feel, her everything.

"Oh baby… You're so good at that."

And then it happened. Maura revealed her amazing talent once again, but this time, it was in full force as it coursed over the breadth of Jane's inviting pussy. It danced across and latched on to Jane's budding clit, sucking it deeply into her mouth. And then Maura turned on the "motor", that soft, constant, vibrating sensation that Jane adored so much. She couldn't understand what she was doing when she was doing it… All she knew was that it was by far the best feeling she'd ever experienced.

"Oh fuck, yes… baby… Oh my god, what are you doing to me?" She whimpered as she clenched Maura's hair and pulled her harder against her gyrating body. She had to be certain not to smother her talented lover, so she released her grip a little bit.

A warm euphoric feeling washed over her as heat descended at lightning speed from the tip of her head down to the tip of her clit. She knew Maura felt it too, because Maura moaned slightly and deepened her kisses.

Maura reached with her left hand and took Jane's, entwining their fingers together as she continued to make love to her. By now, the tremors could not be controlled; Jane's body writhed and moved beneath Maura. Maura held on tight though, determined to give back to Jane everything that she'd given her over the past few days.

She pulled away momentarily, allowing Jane to settle a bit, but not too much before she dove in again, this time the passion in her lips electrified them. The moment that she latched onto Jane this one last time, Jane couldn't hold her orgasm back any longer. In that instant, Jane's fears and her anguish and her sorrows abandoned her body with the quickness of a fleeting breeze, and the only thing that was left inside of her was a peaceful feeling of contentment and security.

As she gazed down at Maura's eyes watching her as she climaxed, she recognized those beautiful hazel eyes as the reason why she woke up every morning and the reason why her heart was finally happy. It was Maura. It had been her all along. And as she gazed into her eyes, she could see the source of that feeling of contentment and security. It was her twin soul, the flame that kept her spirit blazing with life.

Jane collapsed onto the bed as her orgasm rippled out of existence seconds later. Every horrible feeling, every burden, and every concern had been expelled from her body and she lay there, trembling and completely empty but also completely free.

Maura crawled up beside her and snuggled with her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Mmm," she cooed into her ear, "You really needed that."

"You have no idea…" Was all Jane could say. Her entire body had shut down; all she wanted was to be held.

"Yes, I do." Maura said softly as she spooned her and held her in her embrace. "I love you," she whispered into Jane's ear. She was well aware of the fact that Jane was spent and she was drifting off quickly to sleep. "And I promise to love you for as long as I am alive, and even after." She placed a soft kiss on Jane's cheek.

"I promise too…" Jane whispered.

Maura felt her body getting heavier as her breaths evened out. She smiled down at her sleeping Italian queen and sighed. "I can't wait to start our family…"

She settled in and relaxed her head onto the pillow. As her mind started to drift off into sweet slumber, the last thoughts on her mind were of one day being the mother of Jane's baby, nurturing it, keeping it safe, and raising it together with Jane, living in peace. Those were the kind of things dreams were made of.

And everyday that passed, brought them closer to the realization that their dreams would come true...

* * *

 **Note: Sorry it took a while to update! I fell sick with an awful cold. I'm better now. Thanks for following  & Reviewing! I hope you liked this update. The tone remains warm and sweet. There's enough angst here on FF. I truly believe that love conquers all, so of course this will reflect in the way I write my stories. Read them all. There's a familiar tone. The love of a human being can overcome any obstacle. I'm a romantic, what can I say? :-)... **

**PS. I'd like to sound off to the guest who reviewed that I write these two like they are 15 year olds. I would like to say: "Where the hell do you live? If 15 year olds talk and act like this, then I need to be where you are!" :-) Thanks for your thoughts! I greatly appreciate it and it helps me to continue on to the end of this story. I like tying all aspects of my stories together to give you a great ending.**


	14. Nothing is Impossible

**Part II**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – Nothing is Impossible**

Maura opened her eyes slowly when she sensed that Jane had gotten out of bed. She watched her walk over to the window and gaze out of it. Her beautiful slim body seemed to glow in the moonlight. Jane brought a trembling hand up and ran her fingers through her hair. Maura watched her quietly.

Jane had been restless the night before. Maura wasn't too sure what it was that was bothering her, but she knew something was. It wasn't a nightmare, however. Jane hadn't had a nightmare in such a long time. The return of them would mean that Jane felt some kind internal turmoil or something of the like.

Jane sighed heavily and placed her face against the window, taking deep and deliberate breaths. Maura pulled the covers over to her bare breasts, shielding them from the cold New England air. It was colder in the bed now that Jane had gotten out. Jane looked over when she heard her moving about.

"Hey…" Jane said softly as she crossed the room slowly and sat on the bed. "Did I wake you?" She asked as she reached for her sweater and slid it on.

Maura smiled and nodded, "The bed is colder without you in it."

Jane sighed and stroked Maura's soft face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep."

Maura reached up and caressed Jane's hand and sighed. "I noticed."

Maura didn't need to ask what was wrong. Months had passed since their magical vacation to Maine which resulted in their exchanging sacred vows to each other; almost twelve to be exact as they were nearing the one year anniversary of their marriage in just a few days. Everything had moved along fine, flawlessly. Their families accepted their new status, and even celebrated and supported their decision.

Frankie and Tommy were the perfect brothers, often helping out with moving Jane's things from her old apartment to Maura's house. Hope and Angela were angels when it came to their daughters' happiness. They'd been so supportive of Jane and Maura's decision, even throwing them a beautiful reception a few weeks after the marriage. Jane didn't want a huge and fancy reception.

She was happy with just friends and family. So Maura made sure she had what she wanted. It was a small event, beautifully organized, and intimate. The only persons missing from it were Barry and Constance. Constance had refused to come, but Hope was there to support her daughter. Paddy had even sent an expensive gift for his beautiful daughter and her new wife.

"Do you need me to come back to bed?" Jane asked softly.

"Only if you want to," she replied.

Jane nodded and crawled into the bed, embracing Maura gently as she kissed her softly on the lips.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Jane sighed heavily, "No…" She said resting her chin on Maura's head and pulling her naked body in close to hers, "Just can't sleep."

Maura swallowed her heart that had risen into her throat. "Okay."

Jane's body was so warm and soft. Maura could feel Jane's heart beating at an accelerated rate and she knew what she was thinking of.

"We will try again, Jane." Maura whispered softly. "We will keep trying until our pregnancy is successful."

Jane squeezed her tighter. "It's starting to get to me, Maur."

"What is?"

"The unsuccessful attempts; I mean, maybe there's something wrong with my eggs." Jane said timidly.

"No, do not say that. You are perfectly healthy and so am I."

"Then why hasn't it worked?"

"I don't know sweetie, but we will keep trying until it happens."

Jane sighed heavily and kissed the top of Maura's head. "Maybe we should take a break? Just for a little while."

"But we can't stop trying, Jane." Maura said pulling herself up into a sitting position. Jane remained where she was lying.

"Just for a little while."

"I don't understand? We just had our transfer a few days ago. We can't give up now. This one may be successful." Maura caressed Jane's face.

"And what if it's not?" Jane said sitting up also. "What if we've been doing this all wrong?"

"What do you mean, 'Doing it all wrong?'?"

Jane ran her palms over her face and sighed. "Maybe we should be using your eggs. Maybe it's too traumatic to take my eggs out of my body, fertilize them, and place them into your body. Maybe we are incompatible. Maybe…" Jane was babbling as her anxious thoughts finally came to the surface.

Maura listened for a few more seconds before placing a finger to her lips. "Jane, we are not doing anything wrong. We just need to be patient."

"I know," Jane exhaled, "I just never wanted you to have to go through the same loss that I did. We've tried 4 times already! This will be our 5th try!"

"And we will keep trying until it works." Maura leaned over and kissed her softly. It was a kiss of comfort that Jane clearly needed at the moment.

Jane was the nervous one when it came to the issue of getting Maura pregnant. If she had it her way, Maura would already be ready to deliver. But for some reason the cards weren't falling correctly for them. "What if it doesn't?"

Maura sighed heavily. The thought had crossed her mind but she refused to entertain the idea. "It will work… One day."

Jane nodded slowly and then she kissed her. In front of everyone else, Jane was confident and cool regarding the issue with the unsuccessful attempts, but she didn't need to pretend with Maura. It scared the hell out of her thinking that she and Maura couldn't have a child together.

"I know what you're thinking, so stop…" Maura smiled before placing a soft kiss on the tip of Jane's nose.

"You don't know what I'm thinking." Jane closed her eyes and enjoyed the other kisses Maura placed on her face.

"We've been together a very long time Jane," Maura chuckled, "Don't you think I know the intimate thoughts of my wife by now?"

Jane sighed and nodded. "Yeah…"

"I made the best decision of my life marrying my best friend and I haven't regretted it to this day."

"Happy early anniversary, baby," Jane said softly before embracing Maura.

"Happy anniversary, my love."

Jane lied back down and pulled Maura into her embrace. "You need to rest." She said snuggling her close.

Maura sighed contently and relaxed in Jane's arms. She'd taken a short leave from work to fully rest after the transfer of the embryos. She did very little, if any, of manual work. She'd had these nagging thoughts that the reason why the other embryos didn't result in a successful pregnancy was because she was doing too much. So she was determined to make sure she handled their future legacy with the utmost care.

"What time is our appointment today?" Jane asked sleepily.

"It's at 10 a.m."

Jane sighed, "Okay." Jane was so nervous, but she already knew what the results would read. She had a gut feeling that it would be negative for a fifth goddamn time.

"You try to get some rest too, Love. It's only 2 a.m."

Jane embraced her tighter, resting her hand on Maura's belly. A few moments later, Maura reached up and covers Jane's hand. Jane placed a soft kiss on Maura's cheek and fell asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

XXX

Jane's morning hadn't gone anything like she'd planned. She knew she should have made love to Maura when they were up talking at 2 a.m., but she wanted her to rest. The lack of sexual contact with her had thrown her day off completely. It was a thing of the norm to wake up to Maura's sexual appetite, which hadn't decreased at all over the period of the year. And to make slow and passionate love until the sun came up or until the alarm went off, whichever came first. And it was normal for Maura to invite Jane into the shower where they would fuck again before work. That's just how they did it...

Jane sighed as she glanced down at her watch. "Damn it!" she exclaimed.

Korsak turned and looked at her oddly. "What?" He asked before turning back to the body that had been discovered.

"I missed my doctor appointment this morning." She sighed, resigning to the fact that she'd made Maura go alone to hear the news. She wanted to kick herself.

"I'm sure Maura will understand, Jane."

Jane nodded, "I know." She said as she reached for her phone, "Hey, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yep," Korsak said over his shoulder.

Jane stepped away and looked through her messages. She had a couple from Ma, about 20 work related, and just one from Maura. It was time-stamped at 11:15 a.m. She sighed heavily and opened the message. Maura's message consisted of a simple question mark (?). Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing more needed to be said.

Jane quickly composed a text to her.

 _Jane: I'm so sorry… I got tied up at work._

Jane waited about five minutes before Maura's reply came in.

 _Maura: I understand._

Jane sighed. Every time the pregnancy wasn't successful, they would have dinner and discuss what they'll do different next time and cry together while sharing one single glass of wine. Jane had given up beer over the course of their one year marriage. She'd adopted some of Maura's habits, as well as Maura had adopted hers. They'd become very much like the other, each still holding on to their individuality, but the likeness between them had grown ever clearer.

 _Jane: How did it go?_

Maura never responded to the text. Her silence was heartbreaking.

 _Jane: Maur?_

 _Maura: We'll be sharing a glass tonight…_

Jane lowered her head and shook it slowly. "Fuck!" She exhaled before snapping her phone back onto her belt clip and rejoining Korsak. She needed something to distract her. Anything that would take away the thoughts of being a failure. And that is exactly what she did, she tossed herself into her work and before she knew it, the day had passed her by.

* * *

XXX

On the way home, Jane stopped in to the florist shop and picked up a bouquet of roses for Maura and a box of truffles. She could imagine how she was feeling at the moment, and she wanted to do whatever she needed to do in order to remedy her disappointment. She had also made it up in her mind that she was going to make love to her in the most passionate way. It was something that they both needed right now.

As she approached the front door, she smelled the heavenly aromas of dinner seeping out of the house. She smiled and inhaled deeply. Her wife was the best. Regardless of what happened in their lives, Maura was loyal and faithful with her vows, as Jane was. She put the key into the lock, her anticipation of seeing Maura growing unbearable by the second.

Once inside, she immediately saw Maura sitting on the couch. Maura looked up and smiled at her. Her face was serious and somber, but not necessarily saddened. Jane dropped her badge and gun onto the table and held the roses out in front of her. Maura got up slowly and walked over to her, eyeing the roses with a great smile. "These are so beautiful!"

"I can't ever top the flowers you bought for me, but these come pretty close." She said handing her the bouquet and truffles.

"Oh Jane, you didn't have to buy this beautiful arrangement for me."

Jane nodded and caressed Maura's face. "I wanted to."

Maura laid the flowers and candy down on the coffee table and embraced Jane tightly in her arms. "I love you so much, Jane." She whispered softly.

Jane stroked her hair and exhaled her anxiety, "I love you too, baby." She said as she placed a soft kiss on the top of Maura's head. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." She said before she slowly pulled away and went into the kitchen.

Jane followed her and watched her routinely gather the plates from the cupboard and set them on the island. She next collected the flatware and methodically cleaned and then placed them next to the plates. She said nothing while she performed this task. She occasionally looked up at Jane and smiled back at Jane's smiling face.

"Are you okay, baby?" Jane finally asked, sitting down in front of her spot at the island.

Maura nodded and continued to plate the meal that she'd prepared for them.

"That looks good. What is it?"

"Braised lamb with gremolata and baked polenta," She glanced up and smiled at Jane's expression.

"Wow! You spoil me so much with your cooking."

Maura winked at her, "Good." After she was finished plating the meal, she grabbed a couple of bottles of water and sat next to Jane. She exhaled heavily and smiled. "Shall we have our meal now?"

Jane's heart was busy tugging inside. This routine killed her, but she had to get through it. She couldn't pretend it didn't bother her, because it did. She wanted to be a mom so badly. She wanted Maura's beautiful body to be the home of her baby. She longed for the day when she could watch her baby nursing from Maura's breasts and bonding with it and her.

Jane forced herself to take the first bite of the lamb meal. "This is so delicious, babe."

Maura looked over at her and cupped her hand. "Thank you, it's new, so I'm glad you like it." Maura's eyes just peered into Jane's. Neither one of them said anything else over dinner. After they were finished, Maura left the plates on the island and went to the cupboard and retrieved a single glass. Jane walked to the fridge and took out the wine. Maura placed the glass down and waited for Jane to pour.

Jane held the top of the bottle over the rim of the glass, reluctant to pour it. Maura reached and covered her hand with her own, offering support as they poured it together. Jane's emotions began to get the best of her and she backed away slowly shaking her head. Maura finished pouring the wine and took the glass into her hand.

She reached and took Jane's hand as she walked into the living room, sitting down carefully on the couch. She placed the glass down on the coffee table and sighed. Jane took Maura's hands, both of them into hers and kissed them.

"I'm not sure if I can do this again." Jane whispered.

Maura nodded, "I understand." She said softly, "What do you want to do then?"

"I want to go to bed, and make love to my wife."

A smile crossed Maura's face. "I would like to do the same." She said nodding in agreement, "But first, let's just do this one thing please?" she said picking up the glass and handing it to Jane. Immediately Maura's eyes began to shimmer with tears. "To our love," she said tipping her head to Jane, signaling her to take a sip.

Jane put the wine glass to her lips and turned it up, swallowing down half of the glass of wine. She handed it to Maura and chuckled. "Oops, I nearly drank it all."

Maura chuckled softly, "That's fine…" she sighed and looked down at the glass. "Is this glass half full or is it half empty?" she asked.

Jane gazed at it for a moment, "Half empty."

"I think it's half full." She said placing the glass down on the table.

Jane frowned. "Tomato, tomawto." She said with a smile.

Maura reached and touched Jane's lips softly with her slender fingers. "Optimism goes a long way, my love."

Jane laughed and nodded in agreement, "You are right about that." She hopped up and started off to the kitchen. "I'm going to get the bottle and top you off."

Maura watched her walk away for a minute and when she was nearly out of sight, Maura called after, "I don't need a top off, Jane."

Jane paused in her steps and turned around. Maura was pulling something new. Usually they'd drink a whole bottle and get drunk and emotional and then cry over their failures and then make love until they fell asleep… in that order. What the hell was this?

"Huh? But we still gotta get drunk and cry and fuck? What's going on?" She said walking back towards her.

The smile on Maura's face became brighter and brighter the closer Jane got to her. "We're not getting drunk tonight, love. Well, at least I'm not."

Jane came and sat down beside her, her eyes examining her closer, "Why not?"

Maura's face was bright as she began chuckling softly, waiting for Jane's mind to catch up. "At least not for nine months. Maybe more if I choose to nurse our baby."

Jane stared at her for a moment while her words processed in her brain, and then it hit her. "Oh my god!"

Maura nodded happily as the tears poured out of her eyes, "It worked, baby!" She said reaching and cupping Jane's shocked face.

"Really?"

"Yes, really… We did it!"

Jane felt like someone had taken her heart and started tightly squeezing it . She couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from Maura's. Maura was always a source of truth and credibility. Instantly, Maura had turned into a goddess right before her eyes. She was now the life-giving mother of her child.

"We're having a baby?"

Maura nodded and placed a trembling kiss on Jane's lips. "Yes we are. I'm going to have your baby."

" _Our_ baby…" Jane gasped. Slowly reality was sinking in. "Oh my god, Maura…" she pulled her closer and kissed her passionately. "Thank you so much." She was so overwhelmed with happiness.

Jane embraced Maura tightly as she gazed down at the glass of wine. Just a few minutes ago, she viewed it as half empty, but now… Now it was half full.

"I love you so much!" Jane choked out. She tried to hold on to her emotions but it was virtually impossible as she felt Maura in her arms. Her body had become a temple, a sacred place that protected the life of her baby. Contemplating this only caused her to become even more emotional. "I can't believe this…" Jane gave up trying to fight her emotions, and gave in to them. An outpouring of emotions followed as she wept in Maura's arms. Maura held her tightly, caressing her with her soft hands. Jane wept for so many reasons. It was as if the last bit of grief inside of her had been released and out it came from the deepest hollows of her soul. She would never forget the child that she loved and lost, but she rejoiced in the life of her new one. And she rejoiced in the fact that this new child's life was protectively enclosed in the womb of the very personification of love…Maura.

It took a few minutes for Jane to calm down, but when she did, she'd never felt so much love for Maura before in her life. She didn't even realize that it was possible to love her any more than she already did, but it was possible. They sat quietly, their foreheads pressed together as they cried happy tears.

Maura smiled at her and kissed her tenderly, "We did it."

Jane nodded and caressed Maura's face. "We sure did." She placed another kiss on her lips. The connection she felt with Maura was even stronger now. As she embraced Maura, she could sense the life inside of her; the life of their baby, the child that would give them both a second chance.

Maura leaned back slowly and reclined against the arm of the couch. Jane leaned in and hugged her belly, placing her head right at her navel. She placed a gentle kiss over Maura's womb, letting her lips linger there for a long time.

"Hello in there," she whispered. Maura reached down and strummed her fingers through her hair. "I'm your mama and I cannot wait to meet you." She followed her greeting up with another gentle kiss.

She stood up and held her hand out for Maura's. Maura took it and stood to join her.

"Let's go to bed," Jane said softly.

"But I'm not sleepy," Maura batted her eyes.

Jane smiled mischievously, "Trust me… You will be after I'm done."

Maura chuckled and leaned into Jane's embrace and they walked off happily to the bedroom.

Jane had thought that life had thrown them a curve-ball, but just when she had begun to lose hope in their future legacy, love stepped in and won this battle for them. Maura was right. She just needed to be patient.

With love and patience, nothing is impossible…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this update! I had a couple of ideas regarding extending this to include the Rizzles baby. So I'm not ending this story as soon as I planned. Sorry for typos or grammar errors. I'll correct as I catch them. Thanks!**


	15. Full Circle

**Chapter 15 – Full Circle**

Jane was surprised at how happy her life had been since the night that Maura had announced that she was pregnant. Nothing seemed to bother her. She went about her days walking on cloud nine and went about her nights making sweet love to her wife. She and Maura had chosen not to know the gender of the baby early on. They wanted it to be a complete surprise! Maura was 37 weeks along and heavily pregnant. Their sex life had continued on unaffected up until about a couple of weeks ago, when it came to a grinding halt. Jane had tried to initiate sex with Maura but Maura rejected her. Jane thought nothing of it at first, but it kept happening. One day turned into fourteen and Jane found herself feeling quite frustrated.

Jane looked up from her breakfast and smiled at Maura. "Hey, are you okay?" She said softly to the angel staring back at her.

Maura smiled back at her and reached and took her hand, "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

Jane shrugged, pulling Maura out of her seat and over to her. She looked up into her eyes and studied her for a minute or two. "I meant, are _we_ okay?" she rephrased the question.

Maura sighed and gave in to Jane's tugging her into her lap. She sat down gently and sighed again.

Jane put her arms around her and kissed her softly on the shoulder. "What's going on?" Maura moved to get up, but Jane held her in place. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I feel as though I'm too heavy to be sitting on your lap." Maura said as she caressed her belly.

"Let me be the judge of that?" Jane peered into her eyes, searching for the reason for her distance. Maura just stared at her without saying a word.

Jane believed that Maura's hormones were changing and that was why she was getting moodier. She even dressed differently lately as well. Instead of her usual stylish self, she dressed in sweats and t-shirts. It didn't bother Jane at all. Maura was still Maura, regardless of what she wore.

"Baby, talk to me…" Jane whispered softly as she pressed her lips against Maura's arm, "Tell me what's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"

Maura chuckled lightly and sighed. "I just don't feel attractive anymore."

Jane couldn't believe her ears! "What? Oh my god, Maur, you are the most beautiful woman that I've ever known."

"Thanks."

"Are you serious? I mean, do you really feel unattractive?" Jane asked softly.

Maura nodded slowly.

"Is that why you've been rejecting me lately?"

"I don't expect you to understand, and I apologize if my lack of desire has offended you, Jane. I just don't' know." Maura stood up and paced the floor.

Jane watched her and smiled. She couldn't help smiling at how cute she looked. "I'm not offended. Maur, stop pacing…" Jane said getting up and walking with her. She reached out and stilled her with a soft touch. "Hey…maybe I'm being selfish, but you've spoiled me with your loving, but I really need regular sex with you."

"Have you seen me lately?" She frowned, "I'm as big as Balaenoptera musculus!"

Jane shook her head, "A what? What the hell is that?"

"A blue whale."

Jane chuckled and hugged her. "Oh my god, Maur, you're flipping out. You are not that big."

"So you _are_ saying that I am fat!"

"No…" Jane sighed lightly, "I did not say that at all."

Maura turned away from her and went to the stove. Jane followed her and put her arms around her. "Naturally you're going to put on weight, you're carrying our baby. You're still sexy as hell to me."

"I just feel so fat." She lowered her head and began to cry.

Jane wasn't sure what to do with this emotional Maura. But she was sure that she wasn't going to minimize her feelings, regardless of how silly they seemed. Angela had given her a few pointers on dealing with the very emotional pregnant Maura. She warned her that later in the third trimester, Maura would be easily upset. So she was ready…

Jane tightened her embrace and kissed Maura on the back of the neck. "You still turn me on so much," she whispered, "I've missed making love to you," she placed a soft kiss on Maura's sweet spot, "I miss tasting you…"

Maura inhaled deeply and sighed. "Do you really?"

"Yes," Jane whispered into her ear, "I only need three things in this life." Her lips brushed across Maura's ear, causing goosebumps to prickle her skin.

"What three things?" A slight tremble began to move Maura's body.

"Water, Air, and you."

"What about food?"

"You are my food."

Maura's lips quivered, "Oh Jane, that's so sweet."

"I mean it. Your love sustains me, strengthens me, and helps me to grow. Without it, I'll just shrivel up and die." Her lips pressed softly against Maura's neck, kissing her gently. "I need you, baby."

Maura reached up and cupped the back of Jane's head. "I know… it's been such a long time."

Jane reached down and cupped her hands around Maura's very pregnant belly. "This looks so good on you."

Maura chuckled and sighed. "This," she said covering Jane's hands, "makes me walk like a penguin."

Jane smiled, "A very adorable penguin, I might add."

Maura turned and tossed her arms around Jane's neck and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Aww, Jane…" She kissed her again gently; it was nearly feather soft, and looked into her eyes. "I'm so sorry I've been neglecting your sexual needs."

Jane just shrugged and held her tightly, never once taking her eyes off of her.

"Wow, you look at me like I'm the only person left in this world." Maura said.

"To me, you are." Jane whispered lightly before grazing her lips against Maura's. "And you always will be."

Maura smiled brightly and hugged Jane's neck. They were standing there embraced, enjoying the time that they had together when Jane felt the baby kick against Maura's belly. She jumped back with surprise.

"Wow that was a strong kick."

Maura reached down and caressed the area where the baby had just kicked. "Yes, it certainly was!"

"Our kid is going to be a soccer player."

Maura chuckled softly and watched as Jane descended and placed a soft kiss on her belly. Her lips were so soft, it was then that she realized how much she missed feeling those soft lips on her body. She cupped her head, strumming her fingers through her beautiful dark locks.

"Our baby is going to be beautiful just like you." Maura said softly.

Jane gazed up and smiled. "Beautiful like us." She said rising and placing a generous kiss on her lips.

Maura responded favorably, pulling Jane in for a deeper kiss.

"You know we have some time before Ma and Hope arrive."

"Time for what?"

Jane leaned over and whispered something very naughty into Maura's ear, causing her to blush lightly. "Oh my," Maura chuckled and leaned into Jane's smiling lips that were tucked underneath her earlobe.

"So… what do you say?"

Maura shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"Come on, baby…" Jane placed another soft kiss on her neck. "You don't even have to do anything, just lay there and let me do the work."

"That's hardly fair."

"I miss my lady," Jane whispered into Maura's ear.

"I miss you too." Whatever Jane was doing was working like a charm. Her hands moved up and cupped Maura's breasts, squeezing them softly and pinching her nipples firmly. Maura whimpered softly. "They're very sensitive right now."

"Does it hurt when I do this?"

Maura shook her head negatively and sighed heavily. "Not too terribly."

Jane pinched them again, but this time harder. Maura tensed up and rested her head against Jane's face, Jane's lips gently caressing the side of her face. "Do you like that?"

"Very much." Maura sighed.

"Can I touch you more?"

Maura's body began to tremble. "Yes."

Jane slowly moved her hands down and slid one of them underneath the elastic of Maura's sweats. She slowly slid her hand inside and underneath Maura's panties, immediately taking notice of how full Maura's pussy felt. It felt like her soft folds had doubled in size since the last time that she had touched her. She would give anything to taste her right now, but she would work with what whatever Maura allowed her to have.

"Mmm," Maura cooed as her hand clenched the back of Jane's head. "Everything is so sensitive."

"That is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes…"

Jane slowly circled Maura's clit and dipped her finger inside periodically. Maura's breaths came out sporadically as she struggled to remain standing.

"That feels good." She whispered.

Her internal heat intensified as Jane continued to orbit her throbbing clit. The pressure of the baby's weight pushing down on Maura's pussy certainly increased the sensation that Maura felt. All this time she may have felt somewhat apprehensive about having sex while in this stage of pregnancy, but Jane just proved that being touched was something to be longed for.

Jane's lips captured Maura's ear and sucked on it as she touched her intimately. "You're so wet, baby." Jane cooed into her ear.

"Umm Hmm." Maura sighed. "You're arousing me."

"Good." Jane said as she stepped backwards, ever so carefully maneuvering herself and Maura through the kitchen. She only had to glance over her shoulder once to check and see if she was on course for the guest bedroom down the hall.

Maura chuckled when she determined where they were headed. "You're serious aren't you?"

"You know I am. Just let my lips touch you at least, and I'll be happy."

"What about you?"

"I'm not worried about me…" Jane said as she closed the guest bedroom door behind them and pulled Maura over to the bed, "I know you too well to worry." Jane said as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her dark brown eyes looking up into Maura's beaming hazel ones.

Maura smiled and caressed Jane's face, running her fingers along her lips. Jane captured one of Maura's thumbs and kissed it softly. She reached and placed her hands on Maura's waist, pulling her closer into her arms.

Jane gazed lovingly up at Maura. "You are so beautiful," she finally said as her hands slid underneath Maura's sweat shirt and caressed the soft skin underneath.

"I don't feel beautiful." Maura whispered.

Jane couldn't stand to hear those words. She pulled Maura into her arms and sighed as she rested her head against her belly. Maura embraced Jane's head, holding her in place, her soft hands felt so good on Jane's face. It felt so natural and so serene having Maura's skin touch hers. Jane lifted Maura's sweater slowly.

Maura stilled her hand temporarily as she looked into Jane's eyes with hopes that she would change her mind. But Jane was resolute. She wanted to see her wife's beautifully sculpted breasts which were her favorite. When Maura realized that Jane wasn't changing her mind, she let go of her hand and allowed her to remove her sweatshirt.

Jane's mouth began to water when she caught sight of her full breasts. To her surprise they looked a little different from the last time she'd seem them. Maura's nipples were darker than usual, almost crimson in color. As she gazed at them, she could see them hardening with desire. Jane's eyes traveled up to see Maura watching her carefully.

"I know they look differently. That happens as the body prepares for—" Maura's words suddenly died on her lips as Jane leaned in and softly traced her nipple with her tongue. Instinctively, Maura forced her fingers through Jane's hair while she watched her lick her nipple.

Jane looked up at her as she pulled her in against her face, sucking her entire nipple into her mouth.

Maura's body trembled softly in Jane's embrace, her fingers kneading Jane's scalp as she pulled her tighter against her. "Your mouth is so warm." That was the first thing that Maura noticed. Jane's mouth, her tongue, and her lips were all so warm.

Jane's tongue twirled Maura's nipple slowly inside, causing goosebumps to prickle all over Maura's skin. Jane gently pulled Maura around and laid her onto her back. Jane remembered the last time she had laid Maura on her back to make love, she nearly passed out from the baby weight. She pulled her onto her left side and placed a soft pillow underneath Maura's upper back and one underneath her lower. She motioned for her to relax.

When she did, Jane continued to shower kisses all over Maura's breasts. Maura could not believe how good this felt to her. Her nipples seemed to have been on edge, sparks flying out in all directions as Jane's tongue traveled across them. Jane was so careful. Maura watched her as she circled her nipple slowly clockwise and then counter clockwise. Jane paused and looked into Maura eyes.

Maura smiled, she knew that look very well. Before she could prepare her mind for it, Jane sucked it in deeply and with so much force it made Maura shiver from the sudden pleasurable pain.

"Oh yes… Jane." Maura moaned softly while pulling Jane's hair. She yanked Jane's lips away from her nipple temporarily and then reattached her mouth to her eager nipples. "Yes, that's it. Mmm."

Jane loved sucking and kissing Maura's breasts more than anything. It was such an intimate and pleasurable act that bonded them closer together. Jane had perfected her technique so much so, that it became Maura's second favorite.

"I'm going to miss you doing this after the baby is born." Maura whispered as her fingers clenched Jane's head.

"No you won't. I'll still do it."

Maura whimpered, Jane was turning her on so much. She wanted her badly. She couldn't believe she had neglected both hers and Jane's needs for so long. "I love you…"

Jane responded by nibbling ever so gently. Maura's entire body shivered and moved with Jane's. Jane released the one she was tending to and moved over to the next one. That one was more sensitive, and slightly painful even to the touch of a soft tongue. Jane noticed the change in Maura's breathing so she carefully catered to it. Maura couldn't hold on to Jane and enjoy the pleasure that Jane was giving her so she opted to release her head and lay back onto the bed…

Jane gently kissed and caressed her torso area, paying special attention to her red hot nipples. Maura was now at Jane's mercy. "Are you sure we have time?" Maura questioned. They both knew that Hope and Angela would be showing up soon in order to prepare the house for the baby shower, but at the moment, none of that was relevant. They couldn't just stop now, when it had been weeks since they last made love.

"Let's make time." Jane said as she got up quickly and hurried to the door to lock it. She returned to Maura less than a minute later and continued kissing her. "I'm happy with this if you don't want more." Jane said softly as she looked into Maura's eyes.

The sincerity in her eyes did something to Maura. It made her want Jane even more. Knowing that Jane was just as turned on as she was, and she was willing to just kiss her if that was what she wanted. Jane was such a selfless lover.

Maura pulled her in for a kiss in response. Jane moaned softly as Maura's tongue joined the kiss and touched hers. Jane's arms carefully straddled Maura's beautiful body. Jane had long learned how to maneuver around Maura's belly. She moved around and spooned Maura as she kissed her softly on the back and shoulders. Maura's shoulders had become a new hot zone. One that could make her orgasm if Jane spent enough time kissing her there.

Maura's hand reached back and pulled Jane's head closer. Jane continued to kiss her as she pressed her body against hers. "Forgive me, baby… I'm so hot right now." Jane chuckled as she grinded herself against Maura.

Maura laughed lightly and turned to face her. "Really now? How hot are you?" She kissed her softly and smiled.

Jane groaned and pulled her closer. "You know what you do to me, baby." She whispered.

Maura leaned in and kissed her, pushing her back onto the bed. Her kisses were soft as she trailed them down Jane's chin and to her neck where she concentrated on the spot that drove Jane insane.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked breathlessly.

"Making up for lost time." Maura replied. She rose and looked into Jane's eyes. Jane saw conviction in her eyes and she dared not protest or she might miss the chance. After a moment, Jane nodded in agreement and submitted to Maura.

As usual Maura was very gentle and precise. Having the extra baby weight didn't take away from her method. By the time she reached Jane's nipples, Jane was trembling and moaning lightly under her breath. And by the time she reached her belly button, Jane's was melting in her arms.

Maura paused before she went any further. "Thank you for being so considerate. I'm so lucky to have you."

Jane's breaths came out in short whimpers as Maura didn't wait for a response before diving in and tasting Jane. Maura's warm tongue probed her gently, circling around her clit before sucking it into her mouth. Jane's hand found its way to Maura's head and assisted her find the rhythm that Jane wanted. It was a hurried, frenzied rhythm. Weeks' worth of orgasms pent up inside of Jane were eager to be freed.

Maura had learned how to go with Jane's frenzied sessions long ago. Most of the time, Jane was a very slow and passionate lover, but every so often she needed a mindless, crazy and fast release. And this apparently was one of those times.

Maura suddenly rolled onto her side and pulled Jane with her, draping her leg over her shoulder. Jane nearly lost her mind with this sudden position change. She clenched her fingers through Maura's hair, and rode her mouth like a madwoman.

"Oh, fuck, baby… That feels so good. Don't let me hurt you…"

Maura released her quickly, "You're fine… Keep going. I love this." She said before returning her mouth to Jane's trembling clit and swirling it between her lips. Jane was on fire.

Jane cried out as she did as she was told. She kept going…

Jane didn't last very long either. Five minutes tops by doing it that way. Her orgasm gripped her body as she thrust herself deep into Maura's warm mouth. Her passion flushed over her, her heart momentarily seizing up with utter satisfaction. As her orgasm rippled out of existence, she collapsed onto the bed and pulled Maura into her arms.

Maura kissed her lightly and smiled. "Someone is happy."

Jane chuckled and sighed. "Wow… That was a nice surprise."

Maura sighed. "I'm sorry I made you wait so long, love."

"That was totally worth it." Jane laughed.

Maura chuckled and placed her head on Jane's shoulder. "Are you tired?"

Jane didn't answer right away. Maura had assumed that she had fallen quickly asleep so she started to roll over onto her side. Before she could get settled though, Jane was there behind her, kissing her softly on the back of the neck.

"Do you think you're going to get off that easily?"

Maura turned over and grinned mischievously, "Actually, I haven't gotten off at all… Yet."

Jane's smile brightened up the entire room. "Let's fix that?"

"Okay, I would love that." Maura cooed.

Jane leaned in and kissed her, pulling her in tightly. A moment later they heard the front door open and the voices of their mothers in the kitchen. Maura looked at Jane, a hint of sadness was in her eyes. Jane knew that she was thinking of stopping.

"Let's play the quiet game," Jane whispered.

"Quiet game?" Maura frowned.

Jane nodded and reached down and touched Maura's smoldering pussy, circling her hardened clit, dipping her fingers in periodically. Maura sucked in a rasp breath and moaned lightly.

"Yes. No matter what I do, and no matter how good it feels," she said sliding her finger in third knuckle deep, "You cannot scream out."

Maura bit her bottom lip and whimpered. "You know I can't do that."

"You're going to have to, because I'm going to get my turn, and I don't care if there are people out there." Jane said as she pulled the covers over them.

"What prize do I receive for being quiet?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." Jane said softly as she kissed her.

And so they remained, quietly making love in the guest room while their mothers prepared the house for the baby shower. It was all surreal, but Maura wanted to take advantage of any time that she and Jane could spend alone. And possibly make up for the time that she had wasted feeling self-conscious. She knew that Jane loved her body even more so now than before, but it was just a psychological thing that she had to conquer. Jane was her best friend, her lover, and her wife. Her body was Jane's temple. As Jane's was for her.

* * *

The baby shower had completely drained Maura. They had a very nice turnout too. Angela had anticipated about 20 guests, but well over 50 arrived! Jane was really happy to see the outpouring of support for their bundle of joy. Since they didn't know the gender of the baby, they received a lot of greens, yellows, and polka-dot outfits.

There was one gift that stood out to her. It was wrapped without a name. When Maura pulled it out of the group of gifts, she had handed it straight to Jane, without looking at it. Jane opened it slowly and her heart gave way to tears when she recognized the outfit as the same one that she'd found on Maura's couch over a year ago. The cute onesie outfit that she fell in love with the moment that she saw it.

When she realized that it was from Maura, she hugged her tightly and thanked her. Her thanks was deeply heartfelt. She was thanking Maura for the gift, as well as thanking her for giving her a second chance at motherhood. The entire party and evening was great. They'd received so many gifts it was unbelievable.

Jane turned the lights in the kitchen off and made her way to bed. Maura had gone to bed about two hours ago, before the last of the guests even left. Hope and Angela helped Jane clean up after the shower and retreated to Angela's place.

Jane sighed contently as she ascended the stairs and made her way to bed. Maura was sleeping soundly with her pillow tucked between her knees. She looked so beautiful. Jane put on her PJs, and climbed into bed. She spooned Maura while she slept. Maura must have been super tired because she didn't even wake up. Jane could feel the baby moving around inside and she wondered how Maura could sleep through that.

After a few long minutes of watching her lady love sleep, she resigned herself to try and sleep. It took no time at all for Jane to fall asleep there with Maura in her arms. It felt so comfortable, and as each day passed, their comfort with each other deepened.

An hour into her slumber, Jane sensed Maura moving around in her arms. Maura cried out with a shriek that scared the living hell out of Jane. Jane bolted straight out of her sleep, instinctively reaching for her firearm.

"Oh no!" Maura moaned.

Jane was disoriented as she fumbled through the darkness for her wife. "Maur, where are you?" She finally found the light and clicked it on.

Maura was kneeling beside the bed groaning through clenched teeth. "Jane…" Her voice was breathless and clearly pained.

Jane raced to her side and caressed her sweat drenched face. "Baby, what is it?" Jane asked as she looked her over checking for blood or body parts. The way Maura screamed sounded like someone was trying to murder her.

Maura's breaths came out as short pants as her wild eyes fixed on Jane's. She opened her mouth to respond but she was gripped again by an all-encompassing pain that stole her breath.

"They're so close."

"Who's close?"

"Contractions." Maura groaned and panted through it. "Three minutes, I think..."

"What the fuck?" Jane gasped. "Three minutes? Are you serious?"

"Jane, your watch. Time it." Maura said reaching for Jane's watch.

Jane started trembling. "No, I'm not ready. I can't do this."

As Maura's contraction eased off, she looked at Jane's watch. "Call your mother, please."

Jane hopped up and grabbed her cell phone, leaving Maura temporarily at the side of the bed. She dialed Angela's number and waited for her to answer. It went straight into voicemail, so she hung up and redialed.

A sleepy Angela answered on the second ring this time. "What's wrong?" Angela knew something was wrong since it was 2 a.m.

"Ma, it's Maura." Panic streaked through her voice as she ran back over to Maura. Maura cried out again as another contraction hit her. She took Jane's arm, her eyes widened, as she mouth the words, three minutes…

"Oh my god, what's wrong with Maura?" Jane heard Angela mumble for Hope to wake up.

"She's in labor, Ma. These fucking contractions are 3 minutes apart. What do I do?" Jane felt tears coming up into her eyes. She for the first time in a very long time, felt completely helpless.

"Hope is calling the ambulance right now. Get her overnight bag ready and we'll meet you down there."

"Okay." Jane said, "This is really happening." She leaned over and kissed Maura on the forehead.

"Yes, it is. Congratulations, sweetie." Angela said. "We'll be over there in a minute."

Jane hung up the phone and held Maura. "Come on, baby, we need to get you down stairs."

"I can't." Maura panted.

"Yes, you can. The ambulance is coming to take us down to the hospital."

"It hurts…"

"I know, and I am so sorry, but our baby is ready." Jane's enthusiasm was contagious. Maura seemed to have mustered up enough strength to get onto her feet. Jane supported her carefully as they walked downstairs. Maura had to stop twice to breathe through the contractions, but eventually they made it all the way to the front door where Angela and Hope were waiting.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later to transport Maura to the hospital. As they strapped her into the gurney, Jane leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"Please don't leave me." Maura whimpered. The pain was too much for her to handle at the moment.

Jane did a poor job holding her tears as she kissed her again, "I'm never leaving you. I'll be riding up front I promise. Okay?"

Maura nodded and turned her head to the side.

"We'll just be separated a short time. Our baby is coming." Jane said before she pulled away and jumped into the front with the EMS driver. She waved to her mothers as they were getting in the car to follow.

How quickly things had changed her perspective on life! A year ago, never had she imagined that she would be married, to Maura, and expecting their first child together. She turned and looked at Maura through the window of the ambulance. Her heart was overwhelmed with joy. In just a few hours' time, they would be welcoming a new member to their family.

Finally, her life was going to be complete…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! The baby is on the way! I hope my next updates will entertain you and will be enjoyable. Anyone with children know that the addition of a new baby to the family is very exciting. The girls learn to adapt to their new family situation as well as adapt to their changing lives. Again, I will say, this story will remain overall positive and sweet. Once this baby is born, both Jane and Maura will experience something entirely new and unexpected. Thanks for sticking with me through this story. Stay tuned...**


	16. The Footling

**Chapter 16 – The Footling**

Jane only left Maura's side for a brief moment to use the restroom. It was now 6 am, and Maura had been laboring for four hours. She was so stressed out she couldn't even think straight. Since Maura's labor had interrupted her sleep, she was running on low fuel. She could just imagine what Maura was feeling at the time. No sleep, hungry, and in intense pain! Maura wanted a natural childbirth, so she opted out of taking pain medicine. Quite frankly, Jane thought she was nuts.

Jane splashed her face with cold water and looked at herself in the mirror. She had dark circles underneath her eyes and she looked drained. She fought the urge to feel sorry for herself because she knew Maura was going through so much more than she was at the moment. She grabbed a hand towel and dried her face. After a moment of coaching herself, she walked outside in the room.

She paused before she went back over to Maura's bedside and took in the scene. Maura was hooked up to a heart monitor as well as a baby heart rate monitor. She heard the steady heartbeat of their baby sounding much like a washing machine. Jane inhaled deeply and closed her eyes momentarily.

"Janie?" Angela called her softly.

Jane opened her eyes and nodded towards her mother, "Yeah?"

"Would you like to go into the waiting room and take a nap, sweetie?" She asked walking up to her and placing her hand on her arm.

Jane shook her head negatively, "No, I'm okay."

"Okay, then maybe after the doctor comes in to check her cervix? You look like you're about to pass out, honey."

Jane nodded, "Maybe. I can't sleep knowing she's in here suffering like this," Jane whispered so Maura couldn't hear her, "That's not fair."

Angela nodded and looked over at Maura, "She's a strong girl. The first deliveries always take the longest."

"How many centimeters is she at now?"

"When they checked her last, she was at four centimeters." Angela said softly.

"And how many does she need in order to push?" Jane was anxious to see her baby and anxious for Maura's suffering to end.

"Ten, sweetie."

"Ugh…" Jane groaned. "How long will that take?"

Angela shrugged and nudged her in the direction of the bed. "There's no telling, sweetheart, just go and sit with her okay?"

Jane stood by Maura's bedside and caressed her face with her trembling hand. "Hey baby…" Jane spoke softly into the air as she leaned over and kissed her sweat drenched face.

Maura didn't respond right away, but slowly she opened her eyes and turned towards Jane. A tear streamed down the side of her face as she just gazed into Jane's eyes without saying anything.

"You're doing great…" Jane had a hard time finding the right words that could possibly comfort her. She reached and took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm so tired." Maura whispered.

Jane felt tears coming up in her eyes. She knew that this was a momentous event; she just wished that Maura didn't suffer so much. She swiped the tear that escaped with her shoulder. "Baby, please reconsider taking some meds for the pain. I hate seeing you like this."

Maura shook her head negatively. "It'll be over soon. The medicine will slow the process."

"But you're suffering, Maur…" Jane was near to the point of begging her to take the medicine.

"I'll be okay, Jane. " Maura's voice was weak and light. Before she could say anything else, another contraction was on her. She clenched Jane's hand and groaned through it, "Oh no…. Jane please… It hurts…" She had a death grip on Jane's hand.

Her contractions were coming every two and a half minutes now, and she was dilating slowly. She was absolutely miserable and drained. She had little time to recover from one before another happened. Jane fell deeper in love with this beautiful strong woman lying next to her. Maura lay there, half panting, half whimpering. Jane leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I'm so sorry, you're going through this." She whispered as she pulled away.

"Don't be. This baby is waiting for no one." She smiled slightly, a forced smiled that testified to the fact that Maura was always thinking about Jane's emotional state, even in times of great distress.

Jane felt Maura's distress so clearly. Her distress affected her in ways she never knew possible. Her body trembled, her thoughts were jumbled, her heart raced. Jane looked over at Angela and Angela nodded reassuringly; letting her know that she was doing the right thing.

"Where's my mother? Is she here yet?"

A twinge of sadness pinched Jane's heart. Constance was never a supporter of Maura and Jane's relationship, let alone of the fact that Maura was carrying her baby. She'd told them it "looked bad" for the Isles' namesake. When Angela had called Constance to tell her that Maura was in labor, she refused to come down to the hospital. She down right refused.

Jane sighed and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "No, baby… Constance isn't coming. I'm sorry."

Maura sighed heavily and turned her head to the side. Whatever she was feeling at that moment affected the baby. Its heart rate dropped momentarily, just for a few seconds, and then picked right back up.

Jane looked up at Angela, silently communicating her wishes to her. Angela nodded and left the room only to return a couple of minutes later with Hope. Angela whispered something to Hope and Hope nodded in agreement before coming to Maura's side.

"Maura…" Hope said softly as she reached over and caressed Maura's hair.

Maura opened her eyes and let out a quivering sigh.

"Hi sweetie," Hope leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Hope… What are you doing here?"

Hope chuckled and her smile reminded Jane so much of Maura's. "Are you kidding me? I couldn't dream of missing the birth of my first grandchild."

Maura smiled and then the tears began to flow. "My mother isn't coming. She's going to miss it."

Hope nodded, "I know, and I'm so sorry…" She kissed her again on her forehead. "Do you know how proud I am of you?"

Maura shook her head negatively.

"I am so proud to be standing here witnessing this miracle. Please, may I stay and witness my daughter having her first child?"

Maura nodded instantly before another contraction gripped her. This time it was stronger than the last! Maura had both their hands, squeezing with all of her strength.

"Breathe, Maur…" Jane coached. Maura's face turned bright red. Maura had held her breath because the pain of this one was unreal.

"Oh my god!" She screamed as she pulled both Jane and Hope's hands toward her. "Oh Fuck! It hurts! Jane!"

"I know. Try to breathe!" Jane said.

"I need to push! Ahhh!" Maura screamed out in retched pain.

"You can't push! You're not ready." Jane caressed her head with her free hand.

"Oh my god, Jane, help me…Please… Please…" She tossed her head from side to side.

"I'm right here, I'm right here, Maura." Jane looked up at the contraction printout. That last one spiked way up, nearly off the chart. She knew that one must have hurt like hell.

After the contraction eased off, Maura collapsed onto the bed. "Where's the doctor? Something is wrong?"

Jane panicked immediately. For Maura to say that, she knew that something must be wrong.

"What? What's wrong?"

Angela came to the bed too and all three surrounded Maura. Maura took Jane's hand and placed it up under her left breast right at the beginning of her belly. "Feel…" She said breathlessly.

Jane felt a perfectly round bump pressing out of Maura's belly. Jane thought that was odd because the last time she felt something that perfectly round was months ago and the doctor told them it was the baby's head…

"Oh my god." Jane gasped.

"What's wrong?" Both Angela and Hope asked at the same time.

Jane's flash of panic encompassed her entire body as she started off towards the door to get a nurse. Angela caught her quickly.

"Honey, what is it?"

"I don't know but it feels like the head is under her breast." Jane stated quickly before exiting the room.

She returned a minute or two later with the nurse. The nurse raced in and was ready to check her right as the contraction hit her.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Isles-Rizzoli, this is going to be slightly uncomfortable," She said as she waited for the contract to hit its peak before she pressed her hands inside of Maura to check her cervix.

Maura whimpered and clenched Jane's hand. Jane hated that the nurse had to do this at this moment, but they had to know.

The nurse pulled out her hand and sighed. "Okay, we have a slight problem." She said solemnly.

"What is it?" Jane asked.

"I'm not sure how this happened from the time your wife was admitted until now, but it looks like we have a footling breech."

"A what?" Jane's panic was about to get out of control. "I mean, didn't you guys check for that when we came in here?"

The nurse nodded and grabbed the chart off of the bed and walked over to the computer and starting typing.

"What are you going to do about it?" Jane nearly yelled at her. She was not too happy that the nurse moved so slowly.

Angela came over and touched Jane's arm, encouraging her to sit down and let the nurse do her job. The nurse hit the button on the bed and waited for the nurse's station to call back. The phone rang a few seconds later.

"We have an incomplete breech presentation in Room #23. Please notify Dr. Campbell that we'll be performing a Cesarean section."

"What?" Jane bolted out of her seat. "You are not cutting up my wife !"

The nurse glanced back at her unaffected and continued calling in the orders for a C-section delivery.

Jane cupped her mouth and looked over at Maura. She went to her and took her hand. Of course Maura heard what the nurse had said; tears were already flowing down her face. Jane couldn't conceive having Maura's beautiful belly cut opened, and the awful scar that it would leave. They'd already been educated about this in child-birthing classes. Never did they think it was a possibility of it happening to them.

After the nurse completed the orders she walked over to Maura's bedside and touched her arm. "When I checked you, I felt little toes. Your baby is currently in incomplete breech presentation. We need to deliver via a Cesarean."

"Do we have any other options?" Maura asked weakly.

The nurse shook her head negatively. "This is the safest for both baby and mother."

Maura nodded and sighed. "I understand." The tears came again; actually they never stopped, but now they flowed heavier than before.

Jane leaned down and hugged her. She knew exactly what Maura was feeling. Who would want a big scar stretching across your bikini line? But as soon as those thoughts arose in her mind, she thought back to that day in Maura's kitchen when she washed Jane's hands, paying special close and careful attention to the scars in Jane's palms.

Maura embraced Jane's scars as her own, never feeling ashamed of them, even kissing them every chance she got. Jane's heart wept with Maura momentarily as they wept over the decision that they had to make for the sake of their child.

Jane's eyes met hers and it took only a few moments before their minds came to an agreement. Slowly Jane nodded with Maura. "Okay, we're ready."

The next few minutes were a blur as nurses rushed in and out of the room, prepping Maura for surgery. Finally the anesthesiologist came in and administered Maura's epidural spinal injection, of which she protested to the very last minute. After the epidural started to take effect, Maura calmed down. As she laid there waiting to be wheeled down to the operating room she had an emotional moment.

"Jane…" She whispered to her.

Of course Jane was at her side already. "I'm here." She said placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Don't leave me, please."

"Are you kidding? I'm not going anywhere," she said candidly as she watched the nurses finalize everything before taking Maura to the O.R. She had already dressed in her scrubs and cap. She was so ready to see their baby.

"I'm sorry I botched the natural childbirth."

"What?" No, no… You didn't do anything. Our little soccer player had other plans."

Maura chuckled softly, her eyes giving way to tears. "I've never been so worried in my life."

Jane nodded, "I know. You're going to be fine. Your vitals are great."

Maura sighed and swallowed hard. "Promise me something?"

"What?"

"If anything happens to me d—"

"Don't…" Jane shook her head negatively, closing her eyes and forcing the thoughts out of her mind. She opened her eyes and smiled at her precious Maura, "Don't even go there." She kissed her softly. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

Maura nodded briskly and pursed her lips for another kiss. By now of course, she was numbed from the shoulders down. Oh how she would have given anything to embrace Jane in her arms.

Jane kissed her firmly as she became choked up with tears. "It's going to be fine, baby. I promise you." She caressed her head while she kissed her.

The nurses waited respectfully for Jane to finish comforting her wife and then they rolled Maura down to the operating room...

* * *

Jane tried her best not to look at what the doctors were doing. She was sickened to death nearly by the sights and sounds of the Cesarean section taking place. But pure curiosity caused her to pay attention and be awed by the work being performed on Maura.

Thankfully Maura couldn't see what was happening. The sheet at her torso blocked her view of everything, but from the looks of it, they were almost there!

"What's happening, Love?"

Jane was happy to see that the color had returned to Maura's face and she looked lively. Perhaps the realization that she was about to meet her baby gave her the extra boost.

"They're almost done."

"I wish I could see."

Jane chuckled and looked over the barrier, "Trust me, you don't want to see this."

Next the sounds of a water vacuum sucking liquid from around the baby filled the air. Jane glanced over and saw nothing recognizable. It was just a giant ball of whiteness. Eventually, the little being began to take shape in front of Jane's eyes. The head popped out first and the doctor used the water vacuum to suck the water from around the baby's face and mouth.

A gurgling sound followed.

"What's that noise?" Maura asked.

"They're cleaning the baby's mouth out." Jane found herself choking on her tears, when she heard the baby start to cry. "Oh my god, Maur," she smiled brightly and looked down at Maura briefly before returning her gaze to the baby.

Maura's face lit up with a beautiful smile.

The baby continued to cry as the nurse finally pulled it out. The doctor called the time of the birth as she cleaned it quickly and wrapped it in a blanket. The nurse reached over and handed the baby to Jane.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy!"

"A boy!" Jane said as she took the baby boy into her arms and nearly burst into tears at the sight of him. "Maur, look at him." Jane said as she turned him for Maura to see him.

"Oh Jane, he looks just like you!" Maura started crying immediately, "He's got a full head of dark hair like his mama."

Jane was overwhelmed with joy at that moment. Gazing at her little newborn and realizing that he looked exactly like her caused her heart to leap and quiver.

Jane leaned him closer and let Maura kiss him lightly. "Hi there, sweetie. I'm your mom. It's nice to meet you." Maura said softly. To her surprise, he opened his eyes slightly, gazing about in the direction of her voice. "Did you see that?" She gasped.

"I sure did." Jane said softly as the nurse reached for him. She handed him off to the nurse and leaned in and kissed Maura softly. "You did good, baby. You did good!" Her heart was overwhelmed and had risen into her throat. "Thank you so much." She whispered as she pressed her lips against her forehead.

Jane couldn't stop the tears from coming up. This moment was so perfect. Nothing could have made this moment any more perfect in Jane's eyes.

And then something wonderful happened. There came another cry from behind the barrier. Jane's eyes as well as Maura's widened with surprise. It was definitely a different cry than the first. Since they both were mothers, they could tell right away that this was in fact another tiny person coming into the world.

"What? No way!" Jane said as she bolted out of her seat and glanced over the barrier. She marveled as she watched the nurse pull another baby out of Maura womb. She glanced down at Maura who was laughing happily. "No way!" she cupped her mouth in surprise. "Yes, yes, yes!" She was bubbling over with excitement.

The nurse cleaned the baby and wrapped it tightly in a blanket and handed it to Jane. Jane had to sit down for this one. Her knees were already wobbly and she felt slightly faint.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy baby girl… Twins." The nurse said as she handed the beautiful baby to Jane.

Jane was rendered speechless as she looked down at this bundle of joy. Her lips trembled as she struggled to hold on to her composure. She glanced down at Maura who was anxiously awaiting Jane to show her their new baby girl.

"Let me see her, Jane." Maura said softly as Jane leaned over and showed her the sweet little princess that she'd just given birth to. "Oh, Jane! They both look like you!"

Jane nodded and smiled. She had never felt so proud in her entire life. She pulled her new baby girl up to her lips and kissed her softly. She smelled so sweet and heavenly.

"Hey there," Jane whispered to her, "I'm your mama. You are so beautiful." And like the baby boy, this one opened her eyes slightly and gazed in the direction of Jane's voice. Jane knew that this was the one who usually heard her voice speaking into Maura's belly when she did.

Jane was wrong, that moment got even better! She and Maura were blessed with two healthy babies to finally make their family complete. Jane handed the baby girl to the nurse so she too could be measured and weighed. Jane leaned over again and kissed Maura softly.

She glanced over the barrier to make sure there were no more surprises. She saw the doctor working to close Maura back up. She turned her attention back to Maura and smiled lovingly into her eyes.

"Twins…" she exhaled.

Maura just nodded and smiled. "What a surprise."

Jane just stroked Maura's hair and showered her with kisses. She'd never felt so much love for her than this moment. Maura never ceased to amaze her with the lengths she would go for her and their love. She just labored without medicine, only for it to end with a Cesarean section. The reward for all of that was the delivery of two healthy babies. One boy and one girl. Jane never thought she was capable of loving anyone with the same intensity that she loved Maura, but those two tiny beings proved her wrong.

It was love at first sight…

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked the update. Twins just felt right to me.**


	17. The First Day

**Chapter 17 – The First Day**

Jane paused before she entered the waiting room. She took a deep breath, holding back the greatest smile that she'd ever smiled in her entire life. She exhaled it slowly, and pushed opened the door to greet their awaiting family. Maura was probably back into the room by now and resting. She didn't want to stay gone too long because the babies were probably going to be brought in soon.

Everyone jumped to their feet; Angela, Hope, Frankie, Tommy, and Vince, all surrounding her.

"Oh Janie, was it a boy or a girl?" Angela asked excitedly.

Jane had practiced how she was going to break the news over a hundred times, but when that moment came, Jane's thoughts and voice were choked out by emotion. She stood there bawling like a baby, her body was on an overload of excitement.

"Oh no, what happened?" Angela said embracing Jane.

"Is Maura alright?" Hope asked. Panic was clearly evident in her voice.

Jane nodded quickly, "Yes, yes… Everything is fine." She took a deep breath and laughed, "We had a boy!"

The room erupted into cheers.

"And a girl." Jane added, smiling broadly.

The looks on their mothers' faces were priceless. Angela's mouth dropped open as she looked over at Hope who was looking at her. And then they both looked at Jane's grinning face.

"Maura had twins," Jane said nodding.

"Oh my god, twins? Are you serious?" Angela gasped.

"Yes, Ma. We had twins. A boy and a girl."

Angela reached and hugged Jane tightly, and Jane reached and pulled Hope into the embrace as well. Angela was beside herself with joy and she couldn't contain the tears.

"Oh Janie, I am so happy right now."

"I know you are, Ma."

"When can we see them? What are their names?" Hope asked.

Jane chuckled. "Uh, we haven't gotten that far with naming them yet. Maur is probably resting in the room right now, so maybe in an hour?"

Hope nodded and pulled away from them. "This is so wonderful!"

"Thanks for being here for her, Hope. That really meant a lot to her."

Hope nodded, smiled and turned back to the guys to receive congratulations. The atmosphere in the room was overwhelmingly joyful. Jane hugged Angela one more time before excusing herself from the group.

"I'll call you on your cell when she's ready for visitors." Jane said softly as she kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Angela chirped.

Jane laughed and hurried out of the door. She made it back to Maura's room in record time. She broke her speed before entering the room. Inside, she was greeted by the adorable squawks of her little ones. Each one had their unique sound. Jane was amazed.

She stepped quietly towards Maura's bed to see that she was holding one of the babies, nursing it. The R.N. was holding the other one and comforting it until Maura was ready to feed it. Jane walked over to the sink and washed her hands quickly and then went and retrieved the baby from the R.N.

"Which one is this?" Jane asked softly.

"Baby boy Rizzoli." She answered.

Jane nodded and walked over to Maura's bed and leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Hey baby, how are you feeling?" Jane whispered.

Maura sighed and nodded, "I'm feeling wonderful." Maura's smile melted Jane's heart as she took her seat next to Maura's bed.

"Are you in pain?"

"Not yet. More than likely when the epidural anesthesia wears off."

Jane nodded and watched as Maura fed the baby girl. It was an amazing sight. Maura looked so motherly and she had this…glow about her. It amazed her how natural everything seemed. The baby knew exactly how to latch on to her mother and get nourishment. And the little boy in her arms sensed Maura was the source of his nourishment as well and began crying to be held by her.

"I think he's hungry too." Jane whispered softly.

Maura chuckled and nodded. "I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to feed them both at the same time." She and Jane both looked over at the R.N. for guidance.

The R.N. smiled and went to Maura's bedside where she instructed them on how to latch the twins on so they could feed simultaneously. Jane gently tucked baby boy into the crook of Maura's arm and helped him latch on. After a couple of tries, the little guy finally got it right.

"Aww, look at that." Jane said softly. "Thank god you have a pair of awesome boobs, babe."

Maura chuckled softly and gazed lovingly at her babies. And Jane sat watching her, smiling at this beautiful sight. "What are we going to name them?" Jane asked as she reached up and caressed Maura's face. Maura had dark circles under her eyes and she looked utterly drained. But at the same time, she was by far the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

Maura smiled, "I would like to name her after our mothers. I want to call her Angelie Hope Rizzoli."

"Aww," Jane sighed lightly. Each minute that passed, Jane continued to fall deeper and deeper in love with Maura. "And what about our little man here?"

Maura sighed and shrugged. "Why don't you name him?"

Jane nodded slowly. She knew that his name would follow him for the rest of his life, so it needed to be a good one. She'd already been thinking of one, and was convinced of what she wanted his name to be.

"Let's name him Misles, spelled M-i-s-l-e-s, after his beautiful mother."

Maura smiled. "Really?"

Jane nodded. "Yes. Misles Franco Rizzoli."

Maura sighed contently. "I like that name."

Silence fell over them as they watched the babies feed. Eventually Baby Angelie fell asleep and Jane scooped her up lightly into her arms, kissing her gently on the cheek. Angelie squirmed on contact of her mother's kiss, but settled in closer to Jane as she held her close in her bosom. Jane placed her into the baby bed and then she took the sleeping Misles from his mother.

He wasn't too happy about being separated from Maura and he cried to be returned. Jane laughed softly. "Hey now, Mister…" She said kissing him on the forehead, Misles immediately calmed down to the sound of her voice. "It's okay, sweetheart." She bounced him lightly in her arms as she waited for him to calm down. After a moment, Misles had fallen asleep in Jane's arms. The sounds of his soft breaths stirred Jane deep inside. She couldn't believe that some time ago she'd almost lost hope in this miracle.

Maura sighed contently and relaxed onto the pillow. It had been such a long day. She closed her eyes for just a moment, but ended up falling quickly asleep. Jane went and placed Misles into the baby bed next to his sister and kissed him lightly and then she kissed Angelie as well.

Finally she went over to Maura's bed and touched her lightly on the forehead. Maura didn't stir at all as Jane pulled the bed sheets up to cover her exposed breasts. She tucked her in gently and took her set in the recliner next to the window. Once everything had settled, it was then that Jane realized just how exhausted she really was. She gazed around the room and was impressed with how nice the mommy-baby suite was.

"This is a nice room," Jane said to the R.N. who was finishing up at the computer.

"Yes, we try to make it as comfortable as possible for mom and baby."

"That's great."

The nurse tipped her head and smiled. "Congratulations Miss Rizzoli. You have a beautiful family. You must be really happy!"

"Thanks," Jane said softly as she gazed at those whom belonged to her. "I really am." Jane couldn't wait for her family to see the babies. She pulled out her phone and dialed Angela.

Angela answered right away and Jane told her that she and Hope could come and see the babies in a half hour. She just wanted Maura to rest a little bit more. After hanging up with Angela, Jane leaned back in her chair and watched Maura sleep.

After a few minutes of watching her, Maura opened her eyes slowly and gazed at her. Jane came to her bedside and began stroking her hair. "Hey…" she whispered, "Are you okay?"

Maura nodded, "Yes. I'm just starving."

Jane chuckled and looked at her watch, "The nurse said they'll bring your lunch in a few minutes."

"That's good," Maura said as she tugged at her gown.

"Ma and Hope are coming up."

"Okay. I can't wait to show them our babies."

"I know, neither can I." For some reason, Jane couldn't seem to keep her hands off of Maura. She just wanted to touch her continuously. She realized that she was experiencing a euphoric feeling at the moment.

Jane smiled at her while she continued to stroke her hair.

"What?" Maura said softly and smiled.

Jane shook her head, "I'm just so happy right now."

"I know you are… Me too."

Jane leaned in and pressed her lips against Maura's and commenced a slow and tender kiss. Maura's arms were still a little sluggish, so she kept them at her side as Jane tenderly kissed her.

"Mmm, I love your kisses." Maura whispered.

"You better." She chuckled, "Just wait till you're all healed up."

Maura laughed softly and continued to kiss her. A light tapping on the door signaled the arrival of their mothers. Neither Jane nor Maura wanted to pull away just yet from the kiss, but they forced themselves to do so.

Jane turned her attention to her mother who was quickly closing the distance between them.

"Hey Ma," she whispered.

Angela waved briskly and peeked around her to gaze at the babies. She brought her hand to her mouth and exhaled heavily.

"Oh girls, they're so beautiful," she whispered.

Hope came up behind her and peeked as well. The smile that crossed her face was priceless.

"Oh look, Ang, they have so much hair!" she chuckled softly as she put her arm around Angela.

Angela and Hope tip toed over to the babies' beds and gazed down at them. Jane and Maura laughed at their exchange. Instantly they turned into grandmothers as they cooed over the babies. Jane looked down at Maura and smiled. All she wanted to do was kiss her again. More than that actually, but the time would surely come again for that.

"What did you name them?" Hope asked softly.

Jane walked over to Misles' bed and smiled, "This one was born first. Meet your grandson, Misles Franco Rizzoli." Jane moved over to her daughter's bed and sighed contently, "And this one we named her Angelie Hope Rizzoli."

Angela gasped and Hope's eyes widened with surprise. Jane is sure that they hadn't anticipated Maura naming their baby after them and it was a very nice surprise.

"You named her after me?" Hope cupped her mouth as her emotions threatened to take over.

Jane nodded, "Actually, Maura named her." She said stepping out of the way so Hope could go to Maura's side.

Hope was speechless as she just stood there nodding and smiling at Maura. "Thank you so much, Maura." She leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"You are the one who needs to be thanked… It meant so much to me that you were here for me. I thought I was going to do this all alone." Of course Maura would never be alone, but regarding her maternal support, she was certainly glad that Hope was there for her through her labor and childbirth.

Maura and Hope hugged quietly for a few more minutes before Hope finally pulled away and rejoined Angela over by the babies. They watched them sleep and conversed quietly for another twenty minutes or so before Angela suggested leaving and letting the others visit. And so the others came and visited and then left.

Before Jane or Maura realized it, it was nearly dinnertime on the first day with their babies. What a long and exciting day it had been. After dinner, Maura fed the two and Jane put them down to sleep, after which they had some quiet time together.

By now, Maura was feeling some discomfort from the surgery and just wanted to go to sleep and rest. Jane had squeezed into a slim spot next to her on the bed and snuggled with her.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Maura asked softly.

Jane nodded, "Of course I am."

"This intravenous tubing doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I've slept next to you for two years now; I'm not going to stop now."

"Aww, Jane…" Maura sighed contently as she felt Jane's body squeeze in closer next to her, and then her soft hands covering hers.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No, not at all," Maura whispered as she leaned her head to the side, her forehead resting against Jane's lips.

Jane sighed contently and relaxed. In all of her life, this was by far the best day ever; Hands down. Her life was finally perfect and it could only get better from here. The room became silent and the only sounds that could be heard were the beautiful sounds of Misles and Angelie sleeping. Their entire world changed to revolve around those newborns. It was just perfect.

"Goodnight Jane. Try to get some rest." Maura said softly. "Misles and Angelie will be waking soon to feed." Jane nodded and kissed her lightly on the forehead. After a while, Maura's own delicate sounds of slumber had filled the air.

Jane inhaled the scent of Maura's hair and smiled as the effects of that action rippled through her body. Jane began to give in to the pull of sleep and she slowly closed her eyes. The warmth of Maura's soft body lying next to her was all she needed in order to feel safe and comforted. A few minutes later she joined the rest and fell quickly asleep.

Their first day together as a complete family had ended just like any other day. They were together, they were secure, and finally… they were truly happy.

xxEndxx

* * *

 **Note: Thanks for reading and following this story through. I took a short break from updating because of the holidays and family time.**

 **I'm starting on a sequel to this story which chronicles their lives as new parents of Misles and Angelie. I decided to just make a separate story instead of blending it into this one. Please if your interested in reading it, follow me so you can be alerted of my new stories.**

 **To all readers who enjoy reading hot Rizzles scenes. More to come in my upcoming stories.** **Thanks again for reading.**


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